(AP) — Chinese technicians are making final preparations for a mission to bring back material from the moon’s surface for the first time in nearly half a century. That undertaking could boost human understanding of the moon and of the solar system more generally. Chang’e 5 is China’s most ambitious lunar mission yet. If successful, it would be a major advance for the country’s space program. Some experts say it could pave the way for bringing samples back from Mars or even a crewed lunar mission. The four components of the Chang’e 5 spacecraft are expected to be sent into space Tuesday aboard a massive Long March-5 rocket from the Wenchang launch center on the southern island province of Hainan.
