06 December 2020
The ascent stage of the Chang'e 5 lunar probe successfully rendezvoused and docked with the orbiter-re-entry combination in lunar orbit on 6 December at 5:42 BJT, CNSA announced. The samples collected on the Moon had been transferred from the ascender to the return segment safely by 6:12 BJT. At 12:35 BJT, the space craft combination of orbiter and return section separated again from the ascent stage. The orbiter-returner combination will continue to orbit the moon, and wait for the right time to return to Earth with the 2kg of lunar samples. The Chang'e 5 return capsule is expected to land in Siziwang Banner (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region) in mid-December.
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Video of docking sequence and probe handling
or here with English subtitles
photo gallery
Orbiter-returner combination of Chang'e-5 separates from ascender
Video of moment of separation at 12:35 BJT