02:33China: Nation launches first Chang'e-5 lunar sample return mission
China's space programme launched a mission to return samples from the Moon, in the early hours of Tuesday, as part of the Chang'e-5 lunar exploration mission. The rocket that will return the samples took off from Wenchang, in Hainan province, at 4.30 AM local time (Monday at 20.30 GMT).
Named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the Moon, the lunar sample return mission is expected to last around 23 days from launch until landing, Chinese National Space Administration official said in Wenchang.
"During this period, we will have 12 steps, including the launch, travelling from Earth orbit to the Moon, lunar orbit braking, flight around the Moon, the Moon landing, collecting lunar rocks samples, taking off from the Moon's surface, approach and docking of the orbital spacecraft, awaiting in orbit, travelling from the Moon orbit to Earth, the separation of re-entry and orbital modules, high-speed re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, the spacecraft's return to Earth," said Pei Zhou, spokesperson for the Chang'e-5 Mission.
"By 2020, we will complete the Moon orbiting mission, collecting samples and returning back. The main goal is to provide better technological accumulation for scientific activities," he added.
The Chang'e-5 probe is one of the country's most complicated and challenging space missions. China is going to be the third nation - after the US and the USSR - to have made a successful soft landing on the surface of the moon.
02:33China's space programme launched a mission to return samples from the Moon, in the early hours of Tuesday, as part of the Chang'e-5 lunar exploration mission. The rocket that will return the samples took off from Wenchang, in Hainan province, at 4.30 AM local time (Monday at 20.30 GMT).
Named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the Moon, the lunar sample return mission is expected to last around 23 days from launch until landing, Chinese National Space Administration official said in Wenchang.
"During this period, we will have 12 steps, including the launch, travelling from Earth orbit to the Moon, lunar orbit braking, flight around the Moon, the Moon landing, collecting lunar rocks samples, taking off from the Moon's surface, approach and docking of the orbital spacecraft, awaiting in orbit, travelling from the Moon orbit to Earth, the separation of re-entry and orbital modules, high-speed re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, the spacecraft's return to Earth," said Pei Zhou, spokesperson for the Chang'e-5 Mission.
"By 2020, we will complete the Moon orbiting mission, collecting samples and returning back. The main goal is to provide better technological accumulation for scientific activities," he added.
The Chang'e-5 probe is one of the country's most complicated and challenging space missions. China is going to be the third nation - after the US and the USSR - to have made a successful soft landing on the surface of the moon.