Chinese spacecraft “Chang’e-5” with lunar samples completed the first of two maneuvers to escape the Moon
The Chinese media reported that today the Change-5 spacecraft in the orbit of the moon changed its trajectory from circular to elliptical and by the next maneuver it will overcome the gravity of the natural satellite of the Earth to return to our planet. “Change-5” will deliver the first samples of lunar rocks collected by Chinese spacecraft to Earth, placing space China on a par with the United States and the USSR.
During six missions under the Apollo program, the Americans delivered 382 kg of moon rocks to Earth, a significant part of which was later lost. Unmanned spacecraft of the USSR mined and returned 300 grams of lunar samples. The Chinese probe collected about one and a half kilograms of rock from the surface and drilled a hole two meters deep, from where it mined 500 grams of rock, and these will be extremely valuable samples.
After another change in the lunar orbit, “Change-5” will go to Earth, where it will land. The craft is expected to land between Tuesday and Thursday in Inner Mongolia. This will be the first delivery of lunar rock samples in over 40 years.
Interestingly, after the launch from the Moon on December 3, the Change-5 systems malfunctioned. The takeoff of the RV from the Moon was simultaneously monitored by so many earth observation stations that it exhausted its “communication capabilities”, according to Xinhua. The streaming of the image from the module was temporarily suspended, but this did not affect the outcome of the mission: the module docked with the orbital station and reloaded the samples. We look forward to returning.
