Ascender of Chang'e 5 Lands on Moon

The ascender of China's Chang'e 5 lunar probe departed from its lunar orbit in response to a ground command and landed once more on the moon on Dec 8.

The ascender had already completed China's first lunar surface take-off. It had also conducted the rendezvous and docking with the probe's orbiter-returner combination in the selected orbit.

It separated from the orbiter-returner combination on Dec 6 after transferring the lunar sample to the returner.

According to experts at the China National Space Administration, the ascender had completed its mission and its return to the moon's surface will prevent it from becoming space debris, avoiding any negative impact on future lunar missions of other countries.

It was also an important commitment of China, as a responsible country, to the peaceful exploration and use of space by humankind.

An animation of the Chang'e-5's orbiter-returner combination [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)