Chang'e-6 enters lunar orbit after near-moon braking

A Long March-5 rocket, carrying the Chang'e-6 spacecraft, blasts off from its launchpad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 3, 2024. (China National Space Administration/Handout via Xinhua)

BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China's Chang'e-6 lunar probe has successfully entered its circumlunar orbit, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Wednesday.

At 10:12 a.m. (Beijing Time) Wednesday, Chang'e-6 successfully performed a near-moon braking procedure before entering the circumlunar orbit, according to the CNSA.

The near-moon braking procedure is a key orbital control for Chang'e-6 during its flight. The braking makes its relative speed lower than the lunar escape velocity, so that it can be captured by the moon's gravity and fly around the moon.

Supported by Queqiao-2 relay satellite, Chang'e-6 will later adjust the altitude and inclination of the orbit around the moon, and choose a proper time to carry out the separation of the orbiter-returner combination and the lander-ascender combination.

Then the lander-ascender combination will conduct a soft landing on the South Pole-Aitken Basin to carry out the sampling and return mission on the far side of the moon as planned.