This is the first attempt to bring back lunar samples in over 40 years and so far everything is going according to plan.
The Chinese probe Chang'e 5, launched on November 24 from the tropical island of Hainan, left the surface of the Moon on Thursday to return to Earth, according to images broadcast by public television CCTV.
The return of the rocks to Earth should take place before mid-December, in Inner Mongolia (northern China).
In this photo taken on Wednesday, the Chang'e-5 lunar probe can be seen collecting samples from the moon.
China National Space Administration (CNSA) via CNS / AFP
A module carrying the samples activated a 3,000-ton thrust motor to orbit after a six-minute flight, the national space agency said.
READ ALSO>
Why China wants to bring back pieces of the Moon
The objective of the mission is to bring back about 2 kg of rocks by piercing the ground up to two meters deep.
After analysis by scientists, they will add additional pieces to the great puzzle of lunar history.
A "complicated" and "delicate" operation
If the return to Earth goes smoothly, China will become the third country to bring back samples, after the United States and the former USSR.
VIDEO. China's Chang'e 5 probe landed on the moon
The last attempt was Soviet, with the uninhabited Luna 24 mission carried out successfully in 1976. This mission is the new stage of the Chinese space program, which struck a big blow in early 2019 by landing a machine on the far side of the Moon, a world first.
Newsletter - Most of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le Parisien
I'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to enable you to receive our news and commercial offers.
Find out more
Underlining the high level of technicality of the operation, Chinese public television CCTV on Wednesday described Chang'e 5 as one of the "most complicated and delicate" operations in the national space program.
Beyond the scientific interest of bringing back samples, this mission allows China to test maneuvers and technologies crucial to carry out its plan to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030.