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Beijing (AP) - The landing of a Chinese probe to collect rock samples on the moon is getting closer.
The landing and ascent module separated on Monday morning from the spaceship "Chang'e 5", which orbits the moon, as the Chinese state broadcaster CGTN reported.
The next step is the soft landing on the moon.
The aim of the Chinese mission is to bring rock samples back to earth for the first time in 44 years.
Before that, only the USA and the Soviet Union had succeeded.
The space agency has not yet given an exact time when the landing should take place.
Ren Depeng, chief designer of "Chang'e 5", had already said last week, when asked about the landing time on state television, that the landing was planned for the evening of December 1st (Tuesday).
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US experts, who cited their own calculations and a leaked graphic from China's social media, assumed a landing around 11:13 p.m. on Tuesday (4:13 p.m. CET).
A landing early Monday morning was previously thought to be possible.
According to other estimates, the landing should not take place until Wednesday or even later.
"Chang'e 5" was launched on November 23rd from the space station in Wenchang on the southern Chinese island of Hainan.
After collecting the samples, the return journey to earth is due.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 201130-99-514029 / 2