China's Long March 5 Rocket Puts Chang'e 5 Lunar Return Vehicle Into Orbit - CNS

WENCHANG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th November, 2020) Chinese heavy-lift launch vehicle Chang Zheng 5 (Long March 5) has successfully put the Chang'e 5 lunar orbiter, lander, and sample collection return vehicle into orbit, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) informs.

Earlier, a Sputnik correspondent reported that the Chang'e 5 lunar mission was successfully launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Center in Wenchang, in China's Hainan island province.

If fully successful, the Chang'e 5 mission will be 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.

The Chang'e 5 probe was originally set to be launched at the end of November 2017, but due to failure of the Chang Zheng 5 launch vehicle in July 2017, the mission had to be postponed. It was delayed again in 2019.

The Chang'e 5 lunar mission is China's first-ever sample return mission.