Chang'e-5 mission suddenly sends back signals, causing high global attention

Recently, the change in signal strength transmitted back to Earth by China's Chang'e-5 lunar probe orbiter has attracted high attention from global space researchers and has become one of the focuses of international space event discussions.

Due to various indications, behind this unusual event, the Chang'e-5 orbiter, which had already successfully completed its mission in the lunar sudden sampling and return program, is transitioning from the Earth Sun Lagrange L1 point to the Earth Moon orbit.

According to the data, the L1 point of the Earth Sun Lagrange is about 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth, while the distance between the Moon and Earth is 380000 kilometers.

Among them, the Lagrange point refers to one of the five spatial positions where a small celestial body can maintain a stable relative position in the orbital structure of two large celestial bodies. At this position, the spacecraft can maintain its orbit with a very small amount of propellant. For example, the James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to be launched in December, will be positioned at the Earth Sun second Lagrange point.

Although as of now, the in orbit management body of the Chang'e-5 spacecraft, the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center, has not disclosed the latest plans related to Chang'e-5 orbit change to the outside world.

However, some analyses have pointed out that due to the center's main responsibility for telemetry, tracking, and command of spacecraft, many aerospace researchers believe that this maneuver of the Chang'e-5 orbiter, in addition to entering the lunar orbit, may also include traveling to the Earth Sun Lagrange L2 point, the Earth Moon Lagrange point, and flying over the near Earth asteroid 2016HO3.

Previously, it was reported that China will carry out a soil sampling and return mission for asteroid 2016HO3 in 2024. Prior to the official implementation of this plan, the Chang'e-5 orbiter may be used for an early flyby mission to obtain more detailed data parameters for subsequent sampling and return.

However, the above speculations first depend on whether the remaining propellant inventory of the Chang'e-5 orbiter can meet the requirements of the relevant mission.

As China's first lunar soil sampling and return program, on November 24, 2020, the Long March 5 Y3 carrier rocket successfully launched the Chang'e-5 probe into orbit.

On December 1st, Chang'e-5 landed in the pre selected landing area on the near side of the moon, and on the early morning of February 17th, it carried lunar samples back to Earth through a return vehicle.

During the process in China, in addition to the return spacecraft returning to Earth and the lander remaining on the surface of the moon. The orbiter, which also played a crucial role in the sampling task, is currently operating normally in space and awaiting further instructions.

Source: Guoke Huanyu