Chang'e 5 lands on moon, starts surface operations

By ZHAO LEI | China Daily/chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2020-12-02 07:10
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Photo taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC) in Beijing on Dec 1, 2020 shows the landing process of Chang'e 5 spacecraft. China's Chang'e 5 spacecraft successfully landed on the near side of the moon late Tuesday and sent back images, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced. At 11:11 pm, the spacecraft landed at the preselected landing area near 51.8 degrees west longitude and 43.1 degrees north latitude, said the CNSA. During the landing process, the cameras aboard the lander took images of the landing area, said the CNSA. [Photo/Xinhua]

The spacecraft has four components-an orbiter, a lander, an ascender and a reentry capsule.

Before landing, Chang'e 5 separated into two parts-the orbiter-reentry capsule combination and the lander-ascender combination-early on Monday morning.

While the lander-ascender has started surface operations, the orbiter-reentry capsule is in lunar orbit at an average altitude of about 200 km above the moon, according to the space administration.

After the collection and packing operations are completed, a 3,000-newton-thrust engine on the ascender will lift it to rendezvous and dock with the reentry module. It will transfer the lunar samples to the module and then separate from it.

If the mission is successful, it will make China the third nation to bring samples back from the moon, after the United States and the former Soviet Union.

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