Chinese probe to collect Moon rocks will launch this week

China will launch a probe, Chang'e-5, to collect rocks from the Moon on Tuesday.

This will be the first attempt of its kind to go to the Moon since the 1970s.

The unmanned mission is hoped to help scientists understand the formation and origins of the Earth's natural satellite, as well as help place China amongst space leaders such as the US and Russia.

Chang'e-5 will collect 2 kg worth of samples, exceeding the mass of previous mission's samples, from an unvisited region of the moon called the Ocean of Storms.