Chang’e-5

Chang’e 5 is a landmark lunar mission conducted by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), representing the fifth instalment in China’s Chang’e lunar exploration programme. Launched in November 2020, it achieved a series of complex technological milestones, including automated sample collection, lunar ascent, orbital rendezvous, and Earth return, making China the third nation—after the United States and the Soviet Union—to return samples from the Moon.

Background and Mission Objectives

The Chang’e 5 mission formed the third phase of China’s lunar exploration strategy, which follows a systematic approach: orbiting, landing, and returning. The mission was primarily aimed at collecting and returning lunar samples to Earth to enhance scientific understanding of the Moon’s composition and geological evolution. It also sought to validate critical technologies for future lunar and deep-space missions, such as automated docking in lunar orbit and high-velocity re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
The spacecraft was launched on 24 November 2020 aboard a Long March 5 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in Hainan Province. The mission targeted a relatively young volcanic region known as Mons Rümker, located in the Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon’s near side, an area believed to be geologically younger than the sites sampled by previous American and Soviet missions.

Spacecraft Design and Components

Chang’e 5 was composed of four primary modules, each serving a distinct function:

• Orbiter: Designed for lunar orbit operations, communication with Earth, and sample return capsule delivery.
• Lander: Responsible for performing a soft landing on the lunar surface and carrying instruments for sample collection.
• Ascender: Equipped to lift off from the Moon carrying the collected samples for rendezvous with the orbiter.
• Re-entry Capsule: Contained the lunar samples and re-entered Earth’s atmosphere for safe landing.

The integrated design showcased advanced capabilities in spacecraft autonomy, robotic manipulation, and sample containment systems, essential for ensuring the integrity of the returned materials.

Mission Operations and Timeline

Following launch and lunar orbit insertion, Chang’e 5’s lander–ascender combination successfully touched down on the Moon on 1 December 2020. Over the next two Earth days, the lander carried out drilling operations to extract subsurface samples up to 2 metres deep, and also used a robotic arm to collect surface regolith.
The collected materials were sealed within a vacuum container to preserve their pristine state. On 3 December 2020, the ascender launched from the lunar surface and achieved successful rendezvous and docking with the orbiter in lunar orbit — a manoeuvre never before attempted by China. The samples were transferred to the re-entry capsule, which then embarked on its return journey to Earth.
The sample-return capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on 17 December 2020, landing safely in Inner Mongolia. The total mission duration was 23 days, marking a highly efficient and technically sophisticated operation.

Scientific Findings from Returned Samples

The Chang’e 5 mission successfully returned approximately 1.73 kilograms of lunar material. Laboratory analyses have yielded valuable scientific insights:

• Geological Age: Radiometric dating revealed that the rocks are about 1.96 billion years old, making them significantly younger than samples from previous Apollo and Luna missions.
• Volcanic Activity: The findings indicate that volcanic activity on the Moon persisted longer than previously thought, extending into the late Imbrian period.
• Water Content: Analysis detected traces of water bound in mineral structures, supporting the hypothesis of limited lunar hydration.
• Composition: The samples primarily consist of basaltic rock, rich in titanium and iron oxides, offering new data on the Moon’s mantle composition and magmatic processes.

These discoveries have enhanced scientific models of lunar evolution and provided crucial context for understanding the Moon’s thermal history.

Technological Achievements

Chang’e 5 showcased a series of firsts in China’s space programme:

• The first robotic lunar sampling and return mission conducted by China.
• First automated lunar orbit rendezvous and docking between two spacecraft.
• Successful ascent from the lunar surface, demonstrating precise navigation and control.
• First high-speed atmospheric re-entry for a spacecraft returning from lunar distance.

These technological advancements are regarded as critical for enabling future sample-return missions from Mars, as well as crewed lunar exploration.

Scientific and Strategic Significance

The mission’s success represented a major step in China’s long-term lunar ambitions. Scientifically, the samples have provided an unprecedented opportunity for researchers to study relatively young lunar basalts and better understand the Moon’s late-stage volcanic history. The returned material has been distributed among Chinese research institutions and a limited number of international laboratories under cooperative agreements.
Strategically, Chang’e 5 demonstrated China’s ability to execute complex, multi-stage space missions autonomously. The mission strengthened China’s global standing in space exploration and served as a technological precursor to future missions, particularly those targeting the lunar south pole, where water ice and resources are of interest for potential habitation and industrial utilisation.

Legacy and Future Prospects

Chang’e 5’s achievements laid the foundation for subsequent missions in the series:

• Chang’e 6 is intended to perform a similar sample-return mission from the Moon’s far side, expanding scientific understanding of lunar asymmetry.
• Chang’e 7 and Chang’e 8 will focus on detailed exploration and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) in preparation for establishing a robotic lunar base.

In the broader context, Chang’e 5’s technological and scientific results position China as a leading force in planetary science and engineering. Its success marks a critical transition from exploration to resource-oriented research, bridging robotic and eventual human lunar activity.