Chang’e 5 was a Chinese lunar sample return mission launched on November 23, 2020. The spacecraft had a total mass of approximately 8,200 kg and was composed of four modules: an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a returner. The lander was equipped with instruments such as a landing camera, a panoramic camera, a lunar mineralogical spectrometer, and a lunar regolith penetrating radar.
Design and Launch
Chang’e 5 was launched aboard a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site. After entering lunar orbit, the lander-ascender combination separated from the orbiter-returner and descended to the lunar surface.
The lander collected approximately 1,731 grams of lunar samples using both a drill and a scooping device. The ascender then launched from the lunar surface, performed an automated rendezvous and docking with the orbiter-returner in lunar orbit, and transferred the samples to the return capsule.
The returner module subsequently traveled back to Earth, successfully landing in Inner Mongolia on December 16, 2020.
Mission Objectives
The mission’s primary objective was to collect lunar samples from the Mons Rümker region in Oceanus Procellarum and return them to Earth. This involved demonstrating and verifying technical plans and apparatus for autonomous lunar sampling and packing, moon-based launching, as well as lunar orbital docking.
Technical Specifications
- Weight: Approximately 8,200 kg
- Power: Solar panels providing energy to each module
- Instruments: Landing camera, panoramic camera, lunar mineralogical spectrometer, lunar regolith penetrating radar
- Modules: Orbiter, lander, ascender, returner
- Communication: S-band and X-band frequencies for data transmission
- Launch Vehicle: Long March 5 rocket
Legacy
The successful completion of the Chang’e 5 mission marked China’s first lunar sample return and made it the third country, after the United States and the Soviet Union, to retrieve lunar samples.
This mission demonstrated China’s advancing capabilities in space exploration and provided valuable scientific data for the study of the Moon’s geology and history.
