China News Service, Wenchang, November 24 (Guo Chaokai, Ye Yutian) At 4:30 on November 24, Beijing time, China successfully launched the Lunar Exploration Project Chang'e-5 probe with the Long March 5 Yaowu carrier rocket at the Wenchang Space Launch Site. About 2,200 seconds after the rocket flew, the probe was successfully sent into the predetermined orbit, starting China's first return journey for sampling of extraterrestrial objects.
The moment of launch.
Photo by Li Dick
After the Long March 5 Yaowu carrier rocket was launched into space, it carried out four separations, including booster separation, fairing separation, primary and secondary separation, and rocket separation.
The Chang'e-5 probe consists of four parts: the orbiter, the returner, the lander, and the ascender. After the earth-moon transfer, near-moon braking, and circumlunar flight, the lander and ascender combination will be combined with the orbiter and return The orbiter assembly is separated, the orbiter carries the returner to stay in orbit, and the lander carries the ascender to choose an opportunity to implement a soft landing on the lunar front preselected area, and carry out follow-up work such as automatic lunar surface sampling as planned.
Chang'e-5 probe.
Photo courtesy of China Academy of Space Technology
According to the China National Space Administration, the Chang'e-5 mission plans to achieve three major engineering goals: First, breakthrough key technologies such as narrow window multi-orbit binding launch, automatic lunar surface sampling and packaging, lunar take-off, lunar orbital rendezvous and docking, and lunar sample storage. Improve the level of China’s aerospace technology; the second is to realize China’s first automatic sampling and return of extraterrestrial celestial bodies to promote major progress in China’s science and technology; the third is to improve the lunar exploration engineering system and accumulate important personnel, Technology and material basis.
Chang'e-5 probe.
Photo courtesy of China Academy of Space Technology
The scientific goals of the Chang'e-5 mission are mainly to carry out the landform area detection and geological background survey, obtain the on-site analysis data related to the lunar samples, establish the connection between the on-site exploration data and the laboratory analysis data; carry out the system of the lunar samples , Long-term laboratory research to analyze the structure, physical properties, and material composition of the lunar soil, and deepen the research on the origin and evolution of the moon.
The Chang'e-5 mission is organized and implemented by the China National Space Administration, which is specifically composed of five major systems including the overall project and detectors, launch vehicles, launch sites, measurement and control and recovery, and ground applications.
The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology affiliated to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Limited is responsible for the development of carrier rocket systems, and the China Academy of Space Technology is responsible for the development of detector systems.
Chang'e-5 probe.
Photo courtesy of China Academy of Space Technology
China's lunar exploration project is a national science and technology major special landmark project defined in the "National Medium and Long-term Science and Technology Development Plan Outline (2006-2020)". Strategic decision. Since the project was established and officially launched in January 2004, five missions including Chang'e 1, Chang'e 2, Chang'e 3, re-entry flight test and Chang'e 4 have been successfully implemented.
This launch mission is the 353rd flight of the Long March series of carrier rockets.
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