The world's first lunar backside sample return will begin, and the Long March 5 successfully launches the Chang'e-6 probe
On May 3, the Long March 5 Yao-8 carrier rocket was ignited and lifted off at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China, successfully sending the Chang'e-6 lunar probe into the Earth-moon transfer orbit. The launch mission was a complete success.
In this mission, the Chang'e-6 probe will launch the world's first sample return from the far side of the moon. This is my country's first "moonside journey" after Chang'e-4 achieved mankind's first soft landing on the back of the moon. It also marks that my country's lunar exploration project has entered a new stage.
As the "carrying capacity" of my country's Long March launch vehicle, the Long March 5 launch vehicle provides strong power and safety guarantee for "Chang'e Flying". It has a core diameter of 5 meters, bundled with four 3.35-meter boosters, with a take-off thrust of more than 1,000 tons. It has a carrying capacity of 25 tons in low-Earth orbit and 14 tons in geosynchronous transfer orbit. It is mainly used for medium-high orbit and deep space exploration. The launch mission is an out-and-out "heavy rocket".
This is the second time that the Long March 5 carrier rocket has carried out a lunar exploration mission after three years. "We are responsible for the overall development of four 3.35-meter boosters. Like the 'Four Hercules', they embrace the core of the rocket and provide more than 90% of the take-off thrust for the entire rocket." Relevant person in charge of the Eighth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Introduction.
Through forms one by one, review one by one, and summary one after another, the Changzheng-5 test team ensured that the rocket technology was in correct state, risk identification was in place, and product quality was reliable. In addition, in the form of lists and tables, it is ensured that the launch site work is implemented one by one, the operation process is correct and standardized, and the data records are accurate and effective, so that the Long March 5 rocket can carry out the launch mission with full confidence.
The reporter learned that Chang'e-6 is basically the same as Chang'e-5 in terms of detector composition and flight mode, but it has advanced lunar retrograde orbit design and control technology, lunar back intelligent sampling technology and lunar back take-off and ascent technology, as well as the implementation of lunar backside In terms of automatic sample return, greater technological leaps will be made.
As one of the core products throughout the entire mission, the Chang'e-6 orbiter undertakes the important mission of transportation between the earth and the moon. It will complete the "air relay" of lunar soil samples between the Earth and the Moon, which is 380,000 kilometers apart, and become a veritable "Earth-Moon Bus."
After launch, the orbiter will carry the landing and ascent assembly and return vehicle to complete Earth-moon transfer, mid-course correction and near-moon braking.
After entering the lunar orbit, the orbiter separated from the landing and ascent assembly and carried the returner to stay in orbit. When the sampling mission is completed, the orbiter will actively rendezvous and dock with the ascender that takes off from the lunar surface and enters the lunar orbit.
Afterwards, the sample container carried by the ascender is transferred to the returner and the ascender is separated. Finally, the returner was carried into the lunar-Earth transfer orbit, separated at a distance of 5,000 kilometers from the earth, and escorted the lunar soil to officially embark on its journey home.
"From launch to recovery, the Chang'e-6 orbiter faces the 'triple test' of multiple flight stages, multiple inter-orbiter states, and multiple separations." Focusing on the Chang'e-6 mission planning, the development team of the Eighth Academy of Sciences on the basis of the Chang'e-5 mission Made several adaptive improvements. For example, for the international payload CubeSat carried by the orbiter this time, technical demonstration and multi-operating state tests were carried out to ensure the safe loading and reliable unlocking and separation of the CubeSat; in response to the flight requirements of the orbiter's retrograde orbit, the team carried out thermal control, Review and recalculation of energy and other majors.
