Tag: Chang’e
-
China launches to the far side of the Moon with sample return
In cooperation with France, China launched the Chang’e 6 mission. The launch happened at Friday, May 3, at 09:27 UTC, and the mission’s main goal is a regolith sample return from the surface of the Moon. The launch happened during very rainy conditions, which did not affect launch criteria. About the mission In overall structure,…
-
China Details Solar System Exploration Plans
In the last few weeks, China has not only conducted several launches — of which one failed — but also detailed its Solar System exploration plans for the next decade, with updated details and target dates for several missions. Chinese Long-Term Solar Exploration Plan At the 74th International Astronautical Congress, China revealed an updated roadmap…
-
Chinese mission returned nearly 4 pounds of lunar samples
Staff members handle the capsule containing lunar samples returned by the Chang’e 5 mission. Credit: Xinhua Chinese officials say they plan to share a portion of the nearly 4 pounds of lunar material returned by the Chang’e 5 mission with other countries, but an allocation for U.S. scientists will hinge on a change in U.S.…
-
Chinese sample return capsule lands on Earth after round-trip flight to moon
The Chang’e 5 sample return capsule landed in China’s Inner Mongolia region Wednesday. Credit: CNSA A capsule containing moon rocks landed in a remote, snow-covered corner of China Wednesday, bringing home the first samples from the lunar surface in 44 years and completing the Chinese space program’s most challenging robotic mission to date. The return…
-
Chinese spacecraft heading back to Earth with lunar samples
Illustration of the Chang’e 5 mission’s remaining trajectory toward Earth, colored green, and the mission’s previous path around the moon, in red. Credit: CNSA A Chinese spacecraft ferrying rocks drilled from the moon’s surface is on course to land back on Earth Wednesday and deliver the first fresh lunar samples to scientists since the 1970s.…
-
Chinese mission accomplishes first-ever robotic docking in lunar orbit
Chang’e 5’s ascender spacecraft approaches the mission’s return vehicle in lunar orbit. Credit: CNSA The Chinese Chang’e 5 mission accomplished the first robotic docking between two spacecraft orbiting the moon Saturday, when a lunar ascent spacecraft linked up with an Earth return vehicle and transferred a container of moon rocks to bring home in mid-December.…
-
China’s Chang’e 5 sample return craft takes off from the moon
The Chang’e 5 ascender spacecraft lifts off from the moon in this view from an upward-facing camera on the mission’s descent stage, which remained on the moon’s surface. Credit: CNSA Wrapping up a busy two days on the lunar surface, a Chinese spacecraft carrying moon soil took off from a makeshift launch pad and fired…
-
Chinese probe completes sample collection work on lunar surface
This image from a panorama taken by the Chang’e 5 sample return lander shows one of the spacecraft’s landing legs on the lunar surface. Credit: CNSA Chinese officials said the Chang’e 5 mission finished drilling and scooping samples from a lunar lava plain late Wednesday, hours before the spacecraft’s robotic ascender was due to take…
-
Video replay of Chang’e 5’s landing on the moon
The China National Space Administration released an accelerated video replay of the Chang’e 5 spacecraft’s landing in the Oceanus Procellarum region of the moon Tuesday. The Chang’e 5 mission’s goal is to collect more than 4 pounds of rocks for return to Earth in mid-December, the first lunar sample return mission since 1976. The…
-
China lands sample return probe on moon
The shadow of one of Chang’e 5’s landing legs is visible in this image from the spacecraft after touching down on the moon Tuesday. Credit: CNSA A Chinese spacecraft successfully touched down on the moon Tuesday, beginning what engineers have described as the most challenging phase of the mission to drill, scoop, and seal rocks…