New Lunar Mission to Test Chang'e-5 Technology
China will launch a new lunar mission this week to test technology likely to be used in Chang'e-5, a future lunar probe with the ability to return to Earth.
The experimental spacecraft launched this week is expected to reach a location near the moon and return to Earth, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense on Wednesday.
The test model is currently ready and scheduled to be launched between Friday and Sunday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China, with the whole mission taking about eight days.
"The meteorological condition will meet the requirements for the launch," said Tao Zhongshan, chief engineer of the center.This is a precursor to a 2017 sample-and-return mission:
It is the first time China has conducted a test involving a half-orbit around the moon at a height of 380,000 kilometers before having the craft return to Earth.
The return mission will involve the spacecraft entering, exiting, and re-entering Earth's atmosphere and landing, said the administration....MORE
A 3D illustration of Chang'e-5 lunar probe. [Photo: sina.com]
