Chinese capsule with moon rocks begins return to Earth

A Chinese space capsule bringing back the first moon rocks in more than four decades started its three-day return to Earth on Sunday. The Chang'e 5 lunar probe, which had been orbiting the moon for about a week, fired up four engines for about 22 minutes to move out of the moon's orbit, the China National Space Administration said in a social media post. The craft's lander touched down on the moon earlier this month close to a formation called the Mons Rumker, an area believed to have been the site of ancient volcanic activity. It collected about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of samples.

The return capsule is expected to land in northern China in the Inner Mongolia region after separating from the rest of the spacecraft and floating down on parachutes.The material would be the first brought back since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 probe in 1976. The rocks and other debris were obtained both by drilling into the moon's crust and scooping directly off the surface. They may be billions of years younger than those brought back by earlier U.S. and Soviet missions, possibly offering insights into the moon's history and that of other bodies in the solar system.

(Image Credit: AP)