China’s Chang’e 5 overcomes first major hurdle after entering moon’s orbit
- The lunar probe successfully completed a challenging manoeuvre on Saturday that allowed it to be captured by gravity
- If successful, the mission will bring rock samples back to earth for the first time in more than 40 years
China’s latest lunar mission has got off to a solid start as the spacecraft Chang’e 5 successfully entered the moon’s orbit, overcoming a hurdle that has foiled several space expeditions in the past.
The test for Chang’e 5 came on Saturday night, after it had been flying for 112 hours. At that point it was 400km (250 miles) from the moon’s surface and near its orbit.
The spacecraft “braked” by firing up its main engine for 17 minutes to slow its velocity to a point where it could be captured by the moon’s gravity.
According to a Saturday announcement from the China Lunar Exploration Programme, Chang’e 5 “smoothly entered the moon’s orbit” and “closed its engine without irregularities.” On Sunday evening it successfully performed another manoeuvre to adjust its orbit and get closer to the surface.
The purpose of the mission is to collect samples from the moon, the first time China has attempted such a feat. If successful, China will be the first nation in over 40 years to bring back lunar samples. It will also be the third nation after the Soviet Union and the US to achieve such a feat.
This crucial first step, known as orbit insertion, is notoriously difficult. If the braking is not done properly, the spacecraft may simply fly past the target or worse, lose control and crash.