On November 23, 2020, an ambitious mission called Chang’e 5 set off to space. Now, it has already entered Moon’s orbit and tried to land on our satellite yesterday (December 1, 2020)!
The Background
So, why is this mission so pioneering? It’s because we haven’t collected a sample from Earth’s Moon since 1976, until its sample collection! That means we haven’t had a new lunar sample for 44 years! Also, it China’s first mission like that. If Chang’e 5 is successful, China will be the 3rd nation to recover something from the Moon.
Spacecraft Structure
Chang’e 5 consists of 4 modules, and two of them will detach from the orbiter. These segments include:
- The lander
- The ascent module
- The service capsule
- The return module
Then, how does it work? When the lander and the ascent module separate from the primary spacecraft, it will descend to the Moon, in which the procedure will be mentioned later. Once the lander has its sample and is geared up to return to Earth, the ascent module raises the lander and attach it to the service capsule. Finally, the service capsule will dock the return module to transfer the sample back to Earth.
How about the structure of the spacecraft? Well, it’s mass is a whopping 8,200 kilograms, and it has a 3000-newton thruster. Of course, because of its operation area, it is solar-powered. Talking about the lander, it has a scoop and a drill to facilitate the sample collection. Then, it has a chamber that can stow 4 kilograms of sample, two times the intended amount.
How will Chang’e 5 land?
Well, it will land like any other lunar landers. To be precise, we have to choose a landing site, which has to be perfect and has no steep terrain obstructing the landing. But, we need to reduce the speed of the craft before it can land safely. How to do that? We use rockets again as there is no atmosphere surrounding the Moon. The thrusters must produce the correct amount of thrust to fight against the Moon’s gravity and fall simultaneously.
Finally, when it is about to arrive on the surface of the satellite, it suddenly shuts down its engine and goes into a Free Fall5. The timing must also be precise since either cutting off power too low or too high can be lethal to the space probe. Here’s where the robust landing legs come into force. It should absorb all energy from the impact to prevent the lander from crashing. This is like the landing gear collapsing while landing is disastrous.
So, here’s a brief explanation of Chang’e 5’s landing on the Moon, and we all hope the mission’s outcome is a success. You can learn more about the spacecraft in the references below.
References, Credits, and Links
- (n.d.). Chang’e 5 – NASA – NSSDCA – Spacecraft – Details. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=CHANG-E-5
- Meghan Bartles, (2020, November 30). China’s Chang’e 5 poised for historic moon landing to collect lunar samples | Space.
Retrieved December 1, 2020, from https://www.space.com/china-chang-e-5-moon-lander-separates-from-orbiter - (n.d.). File:Change-5-en.png – Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Change-5-en.png
- Andrew Jones, (2020, November 29). China’s Chang’e 5 enters lunar orbit for historic attempt to return moon samples | Space. Retrieved December 1, 2020, from https://www.space.com/china-chang-e-5-moon-sample-return-lunar-orbit
- https://www.centralgalaxy.com/what-is-a-free-fall/
Credits: Cwek, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, NASA’s Eyes
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