China sets new milestone in space exploration

It is in human nature to explore new things. To that end, many countries have been exploring space for many decades, particularly the US, Russia, and countries in Europe.

President Xi Jinping hailed the success of the Chang'e 5 mission in bringing back the country's first samples collected from the moon. The whole country is proud of this breakthrough.

The Chang'e 5 mission has achieved many significant breakthroughs, including China's first lunar surface sampling and sealing, first liftoff from the moon and the first spacecraft with the ability to rendezvous and dock in lunar orbit with samples to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.

The success of the Chang'e 5 mission marks a conclusion of China's current lunar exploration project.

The successful re-entry and landing of the Chang'e 5 capsule have enabled China to obtain its first lunar samples, marking a new start for lunar and planetary research. With this achievement, China sets a new milestone in the space domain. The primary goal of Chang'e 5 was to get things back. This will improve understanding of the state, temperature, material content of the moon. This information is vital to the understanding the moon and will help in crafting guidelines for further exploration.

No matter how far China goes into space, it always stays true to its original mission -- unveiling the secrets of the universe and contributing to humanity's peaceful use of space. China is a peace-loving country and will utilize its achievements for promoting peace around the globe.

The Chang'e 5 probe, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a returner, was launched on Nov 24. Its lander-ascender combination touched down on the north of the Mons Rumker in Oceanus Procellarum, also known as the Ocean of Storms, on Dec 1, and used drills to collect subsurface samples and a robotic arm to grab pieces directly from the surface.

The landing site was wisely chosen. Mons Rumker, never sampled before, is geologically younger than the sampling areas of the US and Soviet missions. Scientists believe the new samples could help fill a critical gap in understanding the moon's volcanic activity and evolution. Adopting a complicated technological approach, the Chang'e 5 mission overcame many technical challenges, including China's first spacecraft liftoff from an extraterrestrial body and the first unmanned rendezvous docking in lunar orbit.

China views these efforts as part of the world's lunar exploration. It chose a different landing site and is promising to share its samples to enrich the planet's knowledge. Some foreign scientists have shown particular interest. The exploration is not for commercial purposes, but international scientific research. Humanity shall explore the moon together, as it will eventually need large projects requiring international cooperation. China will play a leadership role in the international scientific community.

The mission will lay the foundation for China's manned lunar landings and in-depth space explorations. Next, China plans to explore the south pole of the moon and is considering joint efforts to build an international lunar research station. No one knows what risks Earth will face in the future, and a "backup planet" is yet to be found. It might be uncomfortable to think about problems like a doomsday crisis or interstellar migration. Still, it will be promising for humanity if competent and responsible countries, including China, continue to promote space exploration.

Zamir Ahmed Awan is a Sinologist and ex-diplomat.

The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.

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