The No. 5 Lander Propulsion Subsystem Thermal Test Finalized

According to experts from the General Department of China Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, at present, researchers are carrying out all related work on the final assembly and testing phase of the Chang'e V. The technical status and quality of Chang'e V are controlled and the plan is progressing smoothly.

China will launch the Chang'e V detector around December this year to achieve a lunar soft landing and sample return. This means that the final step of the three-step "around, falling, and returning" project of China's lunar exploration project is about to be completed.

Hu Hao, the chief designer of the third phase of the China Lunar Exploration Project, introduced that the No. 5 weighing 8.2 tons will be launched by China’s largest long-haul No. 5 launch vehicle.

This task is expected to achieve four "firsts" since China began space activities: for the first time automatic sampling on the moon's surface; for the first time to take off from the moon's surface; for the first time in no one rendezvous and docking on the moon orbit 380,000 kilometers away; for the first time with the moon Earth returns to Earth at a speed approaching the second universe.

China Academy of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Academician Ye Peijian, chief consultant and chief designer consultant of the moon exploration satellite of the five institutes, said that Chang'e 5 includes four parts: the orbiter, the reflector, the ascender and the lander. After reaching the orbit of the moon, the orbiter and the reflector flew around the moon, and the lander and the ascender landed on the lunar surface. The lander is loaded on the ascender with a sampling device mounted on the moon.

The ascender then takes off from the moon's surface and rendezvouses with the combination of the orbiter and the reflector, transferring the collected sample to the reflector and separating it. The orbiter and the reflector assembly fly to the earth and separate at a distance of a few thousand kilometers from the ground. Finally, the reflector returns to Earth.

As one of the most representative projects in the development of China's aerospace industry, the lunar exploration project has a very important and pioneering significance for the development of science and technology in China and the realization of the moon exploration dreams by Chinese people for thousands of years.

Ye Peijian said that in 2018 China will also launch the Chang'e No. 4 and will realize the first soft landing of the aircraft on the back of the moon.

“In the future, we will also carry out the exploration of the moon’s south and north poles and actively carry out various forms of international cooperation such as lunar exploration, scientific research, and scientific research. In the near future, the Chinese must and must be able to go to the moon.” Ye Peijian said .

(Original title: Chang'e V Detector Lander Propulsion Subsystem Successfully Performed Hot Run Test)