Chang'e 5

[Dalhousie]

Actually CNSA releases mission data faster than either ESA or ISRO and CNSA plans are known well in advance.  Just because the Euro-American media don't splash them across headlines, does not mean they are not there.

My google-fu must be weak in this specific instance, as I don't have the skinny on CNSA info or announcements    Any linkifications would be much appreciated, or is it just a matter of better keywords...

Way over my head!

The Chinese section of the "NASAspaceflight" forum is my starting place.  They have lots of people there who monitor Chinese websites, news services, weibo, etc.  From there you can go to the original sources.

I also follow the planetary science journals, papers pop up there from time to time.

[Dalhousie]

First TEI burn completed at 01:54 UTC today, sending it into a high elliptical lunar orbit ahead of a second burn that will send it towards Earth.


https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/xs4Q7-LDDwMCC6rtZofcqg

[molesworth]

Actually CNSA releases mission data faster than either ESA or ISRO and CNSA plans are known well in advance.  Just because the Euro-American media don't splash them across headlines, does not mean they are not there.

My google-fu must be weak in this specific instance, as I don't have the skinny on CNSA info or announcements    Any linkifications would be much appreciated, or is it just a matter of better keywords...

Way over my head!

The Chinese section of the "NASAspaceflight" forum is my starting place.  They have lots of people there who monitor Chinese websites, news services, weibo, etc.  From there you can go to the original sources.

I also follow the planetary science journals, papers pop up there from time to time.

Thanks!  I used to read the NASA SpaceFlight forums regularly, but they've dropped off my radar. Looks like there's lots of interesting discussions going on...

[onebigmonkey]

Actually CNSA releases mission data faster than either ESA or ISRO and CNSA plans are known well in advance.  Just because the Euro-American media don't splash them across headlines, does not mean they are not there.

My google-fu must be weak in this specific instance, as I don't have the skinny on CNSA info or announcements    Any linkifications would be much appreciated, or is it just a matter of better keywords...

There are people who specialise in monitoring Chinese space, and their twitter feeds are very interesting.

The unmanned spaceflight forum has a lot on the Chang'e missions

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=idx

amongst others.

Data from previous lunar missions is available in quantity here:

http://moon.bao.ac.cn/index_en.jsp

but the site can be unpredictable - sometimes very quick, sometimes painfully slow.

China is very open with its data and announcements, as long as it works, and my take on it is that they like to make sure that everything properly reflects the glorious party of the motherland and its heroic achievements before it goes public. Contrast that with India's lunar program, where a much promised data release from Chandrayaan-2 is now 2 months overdue and despite many requests to anyone who'll listen data that is advertised as available from Chandrayaan-1 stays stubbornly missing from their terrible website.

[Dalhousie]

Chang'e 5 has successfully performed its second TEI Burn and is on its way home.

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/g3zwiqBvHuHgP-hJ6UGdKQ

[Dalhousie]

Landing NOTAM appears to be out.  According to "Galactic Penguin SST" on the NSF forum

December 16 between 17:32 - 18:07 UTC.

A4289/20 NOTAMN
Q) ZBPE/QRTCA/IV/BO/W/000/657/4221N11127E059
A) ZBPE B) 2012161732 C) 2012161807
E) A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY:
N423908E1101001-N430003E1122606-N420134E1124138-N414110E1102656
BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-20000M.
F) GND G) 20000M AGL

The location is inner Mongolia, same area as the previous Chang'e 5-T1 return capsule was recovered

[Jeff Raven]

I just read that they successfully recovered the sample container, and also that they're going to make the samples available for study to scientists from other countries. This was a great mission from beginning to end, and a testament to the people involved.  Well done!

[raven]

Absolute congratulations! In other robotic space rock collection news, Hayabusa2 has also come home with a sample collection from the body it was sent to study. So congratulations to both China and Japan for their stunning achievements.

[JayUtah]

Given these successes, we might see a whole lot more sample return missions from all space agencies.

[onebigmonkey]

According to reports the orbiter delivery vehicle didn't join the re-entry capsule and is still out there. They are apparently assessing its fuel status before deciding what to do with it. Of course they don't have anything planned at all... 

[raven]

Given these successes, we might see a whole lot more sample return missions from all space agencies.

NASA's plan with the rover in flight is certainly an interesting one, littering Mars with packaged samples to be picked up and launched to Earth by another mission. What are your thoughts on it?

[Jockndoris]

It will be interesting to see how the latest Moon samples compare with those sent back by the Apollo Missions.

[raven]

It will be interesting to see how the latest Moon samples compare with those sent back by the Apollo Missions.

Not to mention the 3 Luna sample return missions. While much simpler in execution than Chang'e 5, they still were and are an impressive achievement.

[Trebor]

It will certainly be of intense interest to lunar geologists who have been wanting samples from other locations for a very long time now.

[bknight]

And those samples may different than those of the Apollo sites, just to front run any of the blunder's comments about being different.