--- title: "China Is About to Launch a Lunar Sample Return Mission" description: "China is preparing to launch its Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission early next week and the rocket to get it to the Moon was just rolled out." date: "2020-11-17" modified: "2020-11-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-lunar-sample-return-mission" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "chang'e 4" - "chang'e 5" - "china" - "lunar lander" - "the digest" --- # China Is About to Launch a Lunar Sample Return Mission ![China is preparing to launch its Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission early next week and the rocket to get it to the Moon was just rolled out.]() *\Image: CCTV\* ## Sample Return China is preparing to launch its Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission early next week — and it just rolled the massive Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket it'll ride on out onto the launch area, [*SpaceNews* reports](). Launch from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center is slated for November 24. The lander is scheduled to land on the Moon in mid-December. If successful, the mission will be a historic moment. Only the United States and the Soviet Union have so far managed to successfully return samples from the surface of the Moon back to Earth. Now, China could soon become the third — a stark illustration of the country's enormous space ambitions. ## Chang'e-5 Chang'e-5's predecessor Chang'e-4 made history by [becoming]() the first manmade object to land on the far side of the Moon in January 2019. The Chang'e-5 lander will attempt to return at least two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of lunar soil and rock by placing them in an ascent vehicle, which will then rendezvous with an orbiter before beginning the journey home. The lander is targeting a site near where its predecessor landed early last year, close to a volcanic formation near the western edge of the near side of the Moon. The surrounding natural formations are far younger than the ones sampled by Apollo astronauts in the 1960s and 70s, according to *SpaceNews*. Unlike Chang'e-4, Chang'e-5 will have only 14 Earth days — half a lunar day — to complete its mission, because it doesn't feature a heater to keep it warm during lunar night, when temperatures can plunge down to [-280 Fahrenheit]() (-173 Celsius). The country is hoping to use what it will learn during the Chang'e-5 mission for future near Earth asteroid and Mars sample return missions, *SpaceNews* reports. **READ MORE:** [China rolls out Long March 5 rocket to launch Chang’e-5 lunar sample return mission]() \[*SpaceNews*\] **More on the missions:** *[China Planning to Launch Lunar Sample Return Mission in November]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()