03 December 2020
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a major space contractor, is striving to use its satellite technology to enable 5G telecommunication service at sea. The State-owned space conglomerate conducted China's first technology demonstration tests using a low-orbiting satellite to enable 5G communication and internet-of-things services on waters off Daishan county in Zhejiang province last month.
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03 December 2020
China's Chang'e-5 probe has completed sampling on the moon, and the samples have been sealed inside the spacecraft, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced in the morning of 3 December. After the spacecraft worked for about 19 hours on the Moon, the sampling ended on 2 December at 22:00 BJT, and the samples were stowed in a container inside the ascender of the probe as planned, said CNSA. By using data sent back by the probe, researchers simulated the sampling procedure in a lab, providing an important basis for the operation on the Moon. The lunar regolith penetrating radar and other payloads installed on the lander have carried out scientific exploration as planned and provided information support for sampling.
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Video footage of sampling process
02 December 2020
Chinese rocket manufacturer, China Rocket Co., Ltd., and the municipal government of Haiyang in east China's Shandong Province signed a contract on 2 December, pledging to build a 163-hectare production base for solid-propellant rockets. The base will be able to produce 20 solid rockets annually, including Smart Dragon series carrier rockets, upon its completion, according to the company. The production base will also offer services such as rocket assembling, testing and seaborne rocket launch for domestic and overseas aerospace companies.
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Video with footage and animation of the sea launch facility
01 December 2020
On 1 December, short to midnight BJT, Chang'e 5 successfully landed on the near side of the Moon. At 23:11 BJT, the Chang'e 5 lander touched down at the preselected landing area near 51.8 degrees West longitude and 43.1 degrees North latitude, in the region of Mons Rümker, said the CNSA. In the next two days, the lander will collect about 2 kilogrammes of lunar samples.
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CCTV footage
02 December 2020
Chang'e 5 has collected its first Moon samples. The lander-ascender combination has finished the tasks of Moon sample drilling and packaging at 4:53 BJT on 2 December. Next, it will use its robotic arms to scoop up more samples from the lunar surface.
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Lunar landing site carefully selected
30 November 2020
Chang'e 5 probe is preparing for landing. The lander-ascender combination of the spacecraft separated from its orbiter-returner combination on 30 November at 4:40 h (Beijing Time), according to CNSA.
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Chang'e 5 entered circular orbit
29 November 2020
Chang'e 5 carried out a 2nd braking maneuver in the evening of 29 November. This changed the elliptical lunar orbit to a 200 km near-circular lunar orbit. On 20:23 BJT, the 3,000 Newton engine fired. Next, the probe will circle the moon for a certain period, then separate into two parts. The orbiter and re-entry capsule will remain in orbit, and the lander-ascender combination will descend toward the Moon's surface. The landing operation is expected in 3 days.
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Chang'e-5 lunar probe conducts 2nd braking, prepares to land