China launches a "Chang'e 5" missile on an ambitious robotic mission to the moon to bring back lunar rocks and debris, first such attempt by any country in more than 40 years.

The missile took off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southern province of Hainan early Tuesday morning. Minutes after liftoff, the spacecraft separated from rocket's first and second stages and slipped into Earth-Moon transfer orbit.

- Spacecraft typically take 3 days to reach the moon. The mission's task is to drill 2 meters beneath the moon surface and pickup up about 2 Kg of rocks and debris and bring back to earth as per NASA.

- The Chang'e 5 lander is scheduled to stay one lunar day or about 14 Earth days, as it lacks the radioisotope heating units to withstand the moon's freezing nights.

- The mission's lander will dig for lunar material with its drill and robotic arms and transfer it to ascender, which will lift off from moon and dock with service capsule. The materials then will be move to return capsule to be pulled back to Earth.

- China to become the third country after the United States and the former Soviet Union to do so.

SOURCE : SAUDI EXPATRIATES

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