--- title: "China Used Exoskeletons to Recover Moon Samples" description: "The team in charge of recovering China's successfully returned lunar samples in Inner Mongolia wore exoskeletons to help them trudge through the snow." date: "2020-12-18" modified: "2020-12-18" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-used-exoskeletons-recover-moon-samples" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Space" tags: - "chang'e 5" - "china" - "exoskeletons" - "lunar sample" - "the digest" --- # China Used Exoskeletons to Recover Moon Samples ![The team in charge of recovering China's successfully returned lunar samples in Inner Mongolia wore exoskeletons to help them trudge through the snow.]() *\Image: Xinhua\* ## Moon Boots The team in charge of recovering China's successfully returned lunar samples in Inner Mongolia wasn't just futuristic because it was picking up Moon rocks — its members also wore passive exoskeletons to help trudge through the snow, the [*South China Morning Post* reports](). "I would have been exhausted after walking 20 or 30 meters, but with the help of the exoskeleton, 100 meters or more was not a problem," one of the team members told *SCMP*. He was tasked with carrying 110 pounds of gear through the deep snow with temperatures well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. ## Mongolia Madness The country's Chang'e-5 mission successfully [dropped off]() its precious cargo in the middle of Inner Mongolia early Thursday morning local time, the first time Moon rocks have been returned to Earth since almost half a century. Team members from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASIC) had some difficult terrain to cover to approach the washing machine-sized capsule. A lot of gear had to be lugged to the site, making it a serious endeavor. ## Performance Boost The exoskeleton suits come courtesy of the Human Function Enhancement Technology Research Centre that was under contract with CASIC. The goal of the collaboration was give soldiers working at high altitudes a performance boost. The suits themselves weigh around 8.8 pounds and can take about ten percent off the load of a person carrying 55 pounds of cargo at high altitude, according to *SCMP.* **READ MORE:** [Chang’e 5 recovery team use exoskeletons to aid mission]() \[*South China Morning Post*\] **More on the samples:** *[China Just Brought the First Moon Rocks Back to Earth Since 1976]()* ## 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]()