Chinese Rocket Chang Zheng 5 for Lunar Mission Chang'e 5 Launched From Spaceport in Hainan

Earlier, a Sputnik correspondent reported that the Chang’e 5 lunar mission was successfully launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Center in Wenchang, in China’s Hainan island province. The launch took place at 04:30 local time on Tuesday (20:30 GMT on Monday).

"The Chang Zheng 5 carrier rocket launched from Wenchang successfully put the Chang’e 5 lunar research vehicle into the designated orbit after about 2,200 seconds of flight," the CNSA said after the launch.

Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) told journalists that in what concerns China’s lunar exploration, China sets its own scientific and engineering goals but adheres "to the goals of peaceful development."

If fully successful, the Chang'e 5 mission will be the first lunar sample return mission to be completed since 1976, when the Soviet Union carried out the Luna 24 robotic probe mission to the Moon.

"After receiving lunar soil samples, we will disclose to the international community how to handle the regolith samples and will conduct research in accordance with that," the spokesperson told journalists.