Chang'e 5 makes orbital correction on way back to Earth

The Chang'e 5 probe made its first orbital correction on Monday morning on its way back to Earth, according to the China National Space Administration.

The orbiter-reentry capsule combination activated two 25-newton-thrust engines at 11:13 am. The engines were operational for 28 seconds and completed the maneuver, the administration said in a statement.

The combination made two orbital injection operations over the weekend after traveling in a near-circular lunar orbit for nearly six days. After the injection maneuvers, the pair entered a moon-Earth transfer trajectory.

The reentry capsule is carrying about 2 kilograms of lunar rocks and soil.

After arriving in Earth's orbit, the combination will break up and the reentry capsule will conduct a series of complicated maneuvers before landing at a designated site in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region. The capsule is expected to land in the coming days.

Chang'e 5, China's largest and most sophisticated lunar probe, consisted of four main components; an orbiter, lander, ascender and reentry capsule. The spacecraft was launched by a Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket early on Nov 24 at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, setting out on China's most challenging lunar mission.

If successful, it will be the first time lunar samples have been brought back to Earth since 1976, and China will become only the third country to do so after the United States and the former Soviet Union.