There, it’s done. China has left a trace of its passage on the Moon. On December 5, 2020, the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that the Chinese flag had been successfully planted on the lunar surface. This operation was carried out by the Chang’e-5 probe which was sent to the Moon on November 23, 2020.
As a reminder, this probe headed for Earth’s natural satellite to collect rock samples. The five star flag from China could be planted on the moon before the Chang’e-5 ascent module joined the orbiter which remained in lunar orbit for the duration of the mission.
Everything turned out well for the Chang’e-5 probe. After installing this flag, the ascent module was able to dock with the orbiter on December 6, 2020 with nearly 2 kg of samples taken from the Moon.
A day to mark with a white stone
The installation of this flag on the Moon is a historic moment for China. This makes it the second country to have planted a flag on the lunar surface, after the United States. This day should be marked with a milestone, because it marks in particular the culmination of more than a year of hard work.
Cheng Chang, the head of the team responsible for designing the flag, told the microphone of the Chinese daily Global Times that this flag took a long time to emerge. Experts had to find the right material to allow it to withstand the vagaries of the weather and the conditions imposed by the lunar surface.
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A very resistant flag
This Chinese flag is 2 m wide by 90 cm high, for a weight of about 1 kg. It has been designed in a special fabric that resists the heat of the sun’s rays, the cold and also the wind.
“An ordinary national flag would not withstand the very difficult lunar climatic conditions”, said Cheng Chang.
China is now awaiting the return of samples that are transported by the return capsule of the Chang’e-5 probe. It will land in a region of Inner Mongolia. The probe is expected to return to Earth between December 16 and 17, 2020.
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The arrival of this cargo will make China the third country to have brought samples from the Moon to Earth, after the United States and the USSR.
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