Syllabus Section: Science &Tech

WHY IN NEWS?

China plans to, launch (on Nov 24) a spacecraft to the moon’s surface that aims to be the first to bring back lunar rocks in more than four decades.

ABOUT CHANG’e-5 MISSION

• Chang’e-5 probe, is the Chinese National Space Administration’s (CNSA) lunar sample return mission. It is set to launch  from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on Hainan Island in China.

• The goal of the mission is to land in the Mons Rumker(volcanic plain. in the OceanusProcellarum region on the moon’s near side)region of the moon, where it will operate for one lunar day, which is two weeks long and return a 2 kg sample of the lunar rock possibly by digging about 2 metres deep into the surface of the Moon.

• The mission comprises a lunar orbiter, a lander and an ascent probe that will lift the lunar samples back into orbit and return them back to Earth.

• Chang’e-5 comprises a robotic arm, a coring drill, a sample chamber and is also equipped with a camera, penetrating radar and a spectrometer.

SIGNIFICANCE OF LUNAR SAMPLES

• Help in unravel the Moon’s age, the formation of the Moon, the similarities and differences between the Earth and the Moon’s geologic features and history and to see if the Moon can give scientists information about the solar system itself.

• Rocks found on the Moon are older than any that have been found on Earth and therefore they are valuable in providing information about the Earth and the Moon’s shared history.( Accor to Lunar and Planetary Institute)

PREVIOUS LUNAR SAMPLE RETURN MISSIONS

Soviet Union: Luna Programme

US: Apollo Programme

 

Source: Indian Express