Chinese capsule with moon rocks begins return to Earth

ISRO officials said that the mission will also try to unravel the origins of the Moon. (Photo: Twitter/ISRO). Sketched by the Pan Pacific Agency.

BEIJING, Dec 13, 2020, PTI. A Chinese space capsule bringing back the first moon rocks in more than four decades has begun its return to Earth, The Hindu reported.

The Chang’e 5 lunar probe left the moon’s orbit on the morning of December 13 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 kg 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.