March 24, 2023
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Oceanus Procellarum

Mission Reports

Chinese sample return capsule lands on Earth after round-trip flight to moon

December 16, 2020 Stephen Clark

A capsule containing moon rocks landed in a remote, snow-covered corner of China Wednesday, bringing home the first samples from the lunar surface in 44 years and completing the Chinese space program’s most challenging robotic mission to date.

Mission Reports

Chinese spacecraft heading back to Earth with lunar samples

December 15, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Chinese spacecraft ferrying rocks drilled from the moon’s surface is on course to land back on Earth Wednesday and deliver the first fresh lunar samples to scientists since the 1970s.

Mission Reports

Chinese mission accomplishes first-ever robotic docking in lunar orbit

December 5, 2020 Stephen Clark

The Chinese Chang’e 5 mission accomplished the first robotic docking between two spacecraft orbiting the moon Saturday, when a lunar ascent spacecraft linked up with an Earth return vehicle and transferred a container of moon rocks to bring home in mid-December.

Mission Reports

China’s Chang’e 5 sample return craft takes off from the moon

December 3, 2020 Stephen Clark

Wrapping up a busy two days on the lunar surface, a Chinese spacecraft carrying moon soil took off from a makeshift launch pad and fired back into orbit Thursday on the first leg of its journey back to Earth.

Mission Reports

Chinese probe completes sample collection work on lunar surface

December 2, 2020 Stephen Clark

Chinese officials said the Chang’e 5 mission finished drilling and scooping samples from a lunar lava plain late Wednesday, hours before the spacecraft’s robotic ascender was due to take off from the moon to begin the trip back to Earth.

Mission Reports

Video replay of Chang’e 5’s landing on the moon

December 2, 2020 Stephen Clark

The China National Space Administration released an accelerated video replay of the Chang’e 5 spacecraft’s landing in the Oceanus Procellarum region of the moon Tuesday.

Mission Reports

China lands sample return probe on moon

December 1, 2020 Stephen Clark

A Chinese spacecraft successfully touched down on the moon Tuesday, beginning what engineers have described as the most challenging phase of the mission to drill, scoop, and seal rocks for launch back into orbit later this week and return to Earth in mid-December.

Mission Reports

China’s Chang’e 5 spacecraft enters lunar orbit

November 28, 2020 Stephen Clark

Five days after taking off on a heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket, China’s Chang’e 5 sample return spacecraft entered orbit around the moon Saturday, moving into position for a descent to the lunar surface in a bid to gather specimens and bring them back to Earth.

News Headlines

  • Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches BlackSky satellites from New Zealand
    March 24, 2023
  • Live coverage: SpaceX launches 56 more Starlink internet satellites
    March 24, 2023
  • SpaceX pausing launches of new-generation Starlink satellites
    March 23, 2023
  • Relativity’s 3D-printed Terran 1 rocket reaches space, but falls short of orbit
    March 22, 2023
  • Penultimate Delta rocket to launch next month on ULA’s first mission of 2023
    March 22, 2023
  • Home
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