Slow down, "brake commander" escorted Chang'e 5 to the moon

　　China News Service, Beijing, December 2 (Guo Chaokai) On December 1, during the final phase of the Moon landing on Chang'e 5, the "brake commander" who had been on duty during the moon landing process accurately detected the difference between the Chang'e probe and the lunar surface. At a distance of less than five meters from the moon surface, a brake command was issued to make Chang'e "flutterly" landing on the moon, realizing the probe's "soft landing".

　　The "brake commander" is a gamma shutdown sensor developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.

Prior to the lunar exploration mission, the gamma height control device developed by the team has been successfully applied in the Shenzhou spacecraft mission to ensure the personal safety of the astronauts through the "soft landing" of the return capsule.

γ-rays have the characteristics of little interference from the external environment. It is precisely because of the "strongest" accuracy of γ-rays that this mechanism of using γ-rays for altitude measurement has been applied to manned spaceflight and lunar exploration that require the highest accuracy and reliability. On mission.

　　The lunar surface environment is complex and special. From the "ground" to the "moon" measurement, it is necessary to further break through the lunar surface "soft landing" control technology to ensure accurate ranging and precise control.

When Chang'e-5 transitioned from the circumlunar flight to the lunar landing stage, it controlled its slow descent to the moon by turning on the engine. As the moon landing process began, the gamma shutdown sensor placed on the bottom of Chang'e-5 measured in real time. The distance between the number and the moon.

　　When the γ shutdown sensor detects an altitude of less than 5 meters from the lunar surface, it sends a shutdown command to shut down the orbital control and attitude control engines.

The issuance of this shutdown command is the key action to realize "Chang'e Falling Moon". At this moment, it determines the success or failure of the "Liu Yue" mission.

With the withdrawal of the engine's reverse thrust, the probe decelerated and made a "soft landing", and Chang'e gracefully landed on the moon.

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