Moon: Chinese probe has started collecting samples

View of the lunar ground taken by the Chang'e-5 probe during its moon landing.

VIA REUTERS - CHINA NATIONAL SPACE ADMINISTRAT

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2 min

China has its eyes on the moon.

She has just successfully landed there a probe responsible for extracting and especially bringing back samples of lunar rocks.

What had not been done for 40 years.

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With our correspondent in Beijing

, 

Star lovers got little sleep last night in China.

The moon landing occurred at 11 p.m. Beijing time.

China Central Television did not want to waste a thing.

Result: 2 hours of specials on this technical and scientific feat which, if it goes to the end, will allow China to join the restricted club of those who have won pieces of the Moon.

Hence this avalanche of encouragement from elsewhere on social networks last night: 中国 航天 加油!

(

in French

“Go taikonauts!

»And this play on words that we find in many comments: 土特产«

»which in Mandarin means«

regional 

specialty »with the character« earth », because it is indeed about that this time , bring home 2 kilos of minerals collected in the craters of the natural star of the Earth.

A robotic arm of the Change'5 probe to drill the lunar crust to a depth of two meters and keep the samples in protective capsules for two weeks before returning home.

This is the third time that China has landed a vehicle on the moon.

We remember

 , but until now only images and analyzes had returned from these missions.

Two kilos of minerals is less than the 382 kilos brought back in the past by the American mission Appolo, but beyond science the stake is also symbolic, military and political in the space battle that the first two are fought. powers.

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