A precious lunar sample brought back by the Chang'e-5 probe arrived at the Changsha Huanghua International Airport by CA1399 flight on the noon of December 23, 2021.

The sample was packed tightly in a transfer case and safeguarded by working staff. It will be delivered to Shaoshan for storage later.

The Chang'e-5 probe landed in Siziwang Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, at 1:59 a.m. (Beijing Time) on Dec. 17, 2020, retrieving a total of 1,731 grams of lunar samples. It marked a successful conclusion of China's Chang’e-5 lunar exploration program, and made China the third nation in the world to bring lunar samples back.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) designated Shaoshan, the hometown of China’s late leader Mao Zedong, as one of the permanent storage centers for the lunar samples. This decision was a consolation to Mao for his wish “We can bring down the moon from the ninth heaven” in his poem.

According to the regulations on lunar sample management formulated by CNSA, lunar samples are divided into four types in principle: permanently stored samples, permanently stored backup samples, research samples, and samples for public beneficial activities. The main curatorial agency is the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Shaoshan was designated as the location of the only backup curatorial agency.

The backup curatorial agency in Shaoshan has been completed, constructed by Hunan University. It is able to ensure the safety and storage of the sample, and fulfill the important mission of proper storage of the sample.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn