00:00 Well, let's get some expert analysis on this with Professor James Head,
00:03 Professor of Geological Sciences at Brown University,
00:07 who has trained astronauts in geology and surface exploration.
00:10 He also helped to select landing sites for the Apollo moon program.
00:14 Welcome back, Professor Head, to the program.
00:16 It's always good to have you with us.
00:18 First of all, I want to get your assessment on just how significant this is,
00:21 how significant China is for the global lunar exploration
00:26 and for China's space program.
00:28 Well, I think it's incredibly important for all of us.
00:31 International scientists are incredibly interested and excited about the launch.
00:36 And it was just such a pleasure to watch the successful steps in the launch
00:40 and getting the spacecraft on the way to the moon.
00:43 The idea that it would be going to the far side is going to
00:46 leash a real treasure chest of information about the moon,
00:52 stuff we've been trying to figure out for decades.
00:55 So it's critically important for international lunar exploration.
00:58 And science and understanding.
01:00 And it's also a major, major step for China in their China program.
01:05 And, you know, we've seen success after success.
01:08 And it's just incredible to see this well on the way.
01:11 And fingers crossed for a successful landing and sample return.
01:14 We're all excited about getting those samples back.
01:16 Yeah, it's incredibly exciting, isn't it?
01:19 And you mentioned the successful steps that we're taking.
01:22 Can you walk us through the process that took place earlier today?
01:26 Well, you know, it's everybody looks at these things and thinks, oh, yeah,
01:30 you go to the moon, you come back, blah, blah, blah.
01:33 You know, it's not like brewing a cup of tea here.
01:35 You know, it's really, really complicated.
01:38 Each step of the way is is just if you took a look at all the details
01:43 of the features on the sides of the spacecraft in the engines, etc.
01:46 All of those have to work simultaneously and perfectly.
01:49 And so each step of the way is a major challenge.
01:53 And there's there's hundreds of different steps that have to be taken on a way.
01:56 And so far, everything's successful.
01:59 You can imagine just getting off the ground and then getting the rocket
02:04 separated and accelerating to get out of Earth's gravity field
02:07 and then essentially on the way to the moon
02:10 and then unfurling two different sets of solar panels.
02:15 That's not trivial either.
02:16 And so it's accomplished all those this morning, earlier this morning.
02:19 And it's on its way.
02:20 And we're so excited for lunar orbit insertion and then the descent
02:24 and landing to collect the samples.
02:26 So we're really excited.
02:28 And everything's gone perfectly so far.
02:31 And when it does land and start carrying out these experiment operations,
02:35 what do you think it might find out?
02:37 Well, there's so many different mysteries about the differences
02:41 between the near side of the far side.
02:43 And if you think about trying to understand our own planet Earth,
02:45 it's sort of like we're trying to figure out what the history of the Earth is
02:49 with samples just from the United States, with, for example,
02:53 no samples from Asia.
02:54 And, you know, it just it's just an incomplete collection of information.
02:59 And so now we're going to explore the other half of the moon.
03:02 And this will be the first time we actually have samples back.
03:05 And, you know, we're going to learn about the ages, the ages of the big basins.
03:09 We're going to learn about the early history, how it affected Earth,
03:12 the volcanic activity and all these other things that are real mysteries
03:16 and understanding our our sister solar system body.
03:20 I mean, it's thought that the moon actually originated from a big impact
03:25 and are collecting ejecta and forming the moon.
03:27 So we're really kind of like we've been together for for since our birth,
03:32 basically. And how does that work?
03:34 What does that tell us about the early history of the Earth,
03:36 which has gone because of erosion and plate tectonics and recycling?
03:40 So it's just so exciting.
03:41 I you know, it's just we're really, really anticipating this treasure chest.
03:46 Of of samples.
03:48 Well, when this treasure chest gets open, please do come back
03:50 and let us know your thoughts.
03:52 Always great to have your expertise.
03:54 Professor James Head from Brown University. Thanks so much.
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