Twitterati have flooded the microblogging site with jokes after China’s Chang’e-5 mission probe successfully landed on the moon with many linking the Asian country’s space achievement to the coronavirus pandemic, which originated from Wuhan. More than one million people jhave died globally due to the pandemic.
China’s robotic Chang’e-5 mission touched down on Tuesday with the aim of collecting samples of rock and dust to bring back to Earth. A report by the BBC said that the Chinese mission had targeted Mons Rümker, a high volcanic complex in a nearside region known as Oceanus Procellarum.
The robot will collect around 2kg of soil, also known as regolith, before sending it to an orbiting vehicle, which will transport the samples to earth.
China’s #ChangE5 spacecraft successfully lands on the near side of the moon. This is the world’s first moon-sample mission for more than 40 years. #LunarProbe pic.twitter.com/pfySXUCAPG
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) December 1, 2020
No sooner did the news of China’s Moon mission become public, netizens began to detect an irony in the Asian giant’s latest achievement by linking it to the ongoing global pandemic.
Here’s how they reacted;
BREAKING: Coronavirus confirmed on the moon pic.twitter.com/Sfkx8W0KGK
— Official Weather UK (@OfficialWXUK) December 1, 2020
I hope they don’t bring back a dangerous virus.
— Ian McCulloch (@IanMcCu71458806) December 1, 2020
Great. COVID’s on the moon now.
— Jesus Almitee Christ (@JesusRebooted) December 1, 2020
That’s the moon infected with COVID.
— Stuart Murphy (@stuart_murphy) December 1, 2020
While the COVID-19 situation has improved significantly, countries around the world have continued to grapple with its deadly impact till today. Scientists have been frantically working to come up with a vaccine that can stop the spread of the virus but have not succeeded so far.
