The orbital service module and the Earth-return capsule will remain in orbit, waiting for the ascent vehicle to bring lunar samples collected by the lander. The return capsule will then need to bring the samples back to Earth. The mission is expected to conclude around December 16-17.
"On November 30, in accordance with the plan, the Chang’e 5 flight control team successfully carried out the separation of the landing and ascent modules block from the complex of the orbital module and the return vehicle," the lunar space program center said in a statement.
China's Chang'e 5 robotic lunar probe separated into the orbiter re-entry capsule combination and the lander-ascender combination on Monday. The lander-ascender combination will prepare to conduct a soft-landing on the lunar surface. #ChinaTech pic.twitter.com/FMR848adL2
— China News 中国新闻网 (@Echinanews) November 30, 2020
The Chang’e 5 lunar mission is China’s first-ever sample return mission. If fully successful, it will become the first lunar sample return mission to be completed since 1976, when the Soviet Union carried out the Luna 24 robotic probe mission to the Moon.
