Chang’e 5 T1 – Spaceflight Now

Chinese pathfinder probe arrives in lunar orbit

January 21, 2015

A Chinese spacecraft launched in October has settled into a circular orbit around the moon for rendezvous simulations and reconnaissance to prepare for a planned lunar sample return mission, according to state media reports.

Chinese probe returns from flight around the moon

November 1, 2014

Completing an eight-day test flight around the moon to verify technologies for a planned lunar sample return mission, an unpiloted Chinese space capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at blazing speed and parachuted to a successful landing.

First commercial mission to the moon launched from China

October 25, 2014

A modest privately-funded instrument package built by a company in Luxembourg became the first commercial to the moon to get off the ground with a fiery nighttime launch aboard a Chinese rocket.

Chinese probe launched on round-trip flight to the moon

October 23, 2014

China launched a demonstrator probe on a round-trip flight around the moon to test out a heat shield and landing capsule planned for use on a lunar sample return mission in 2017.