A CHINESE space capsule bringing back the first Moon rocks in more than four decades has begun its return to Earth. The Chang’e 5 lunar probe left the Moon’s orbit on Sunday morning by activating four engines for about 22 minutes, the China National Space Administration said in a social media post. The mission landed on the Moon earlier this month and collected about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of samples. The return capsule is expected to land in northern China in the Inner Mongolia region after a three-day journey.

 

The material would be the first brought back since the Soviet Union’s Luna 24 probe in 1976. The orbiter-returner combination of China’s Chang’e-5 lunar probe conducted its second orbital manoeuver on Sunday and entered the Moon-Earth transfer orbit, according to the China National Space Administration. Four 150N engines on the orbiter-returner combination ignited when they were 230 km away from the lunar surface and shut down after 22 minutes, Xinhua news agency quoted the administration as saying in a statement. According to real-time monitoring data, the orbiter-returner combination entered the targeted orbit successfully.

 

Later, the spacecraft combination carrying lunar samples will conduct orbital correction during its journey to Earth. When the time is right, the orbiter and returner will separate from one another, according to the administration. The Chang’e-5, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a returner, was launched on November 24. Its orbiter-returner combination completed its first orbital manoeuver on Saturday.