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Small BodiesStories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.
Chang'e 5 test vehicle "Xiaofei" lands successfully
The Chang'e 5 test vehicle landed successfully in Inner Mongolia today after an 8-day mission. It demonstrated technology that China plans to use for automated sample return by the Chang'e 5 mission in 2017.
A (Difficult) Day in the Solar System
After a bad day on the launch pad, some perspective.
Chang'e 5 T1 rounds the lunar farside, returns lovely photo of Earth and the Moon together
The Chang'e 5 test vehicle's short mission is more than half over. It has rounded the far side of the Moon and is on its way back to Earth for a planned October 31 test of lunar sample return technology. It's not a science mission -- it's an engineering mission -- but it has managed to return an absolutely iconic photo of its distant home, seen across the very unfamiliar far side of the Moon.
UPDATED: China successfully launched test mission for Chang'e 5 program today
China launched to the Moon today! The spacecraft will have a brief, 8-day mission, out to the Moon and back. It is an engineering test for the technology that the future Chang'e 5 sample return mission will need to return its precious samples to Earth.