Chang'e 5-T1 Mission Update Thread-(23/10/14)

[lajoswinkler]

That's a real life Mk-1 capsule.

The ablation is quite extreme on its sides. Looks to me as it almost disintegrated.

[Streetwind]

Congratulations, CNSA!

[xenomorph555]

Video of capsule being recovered:

[CelticCossack51]

I love some people thought that next was Chang'e 4. But I knew it was going to be named Chang'e 5 because in China 4 is an unlucky number, basically like the Asian version of 13. The Chinese and the rest of the Far East avoid using the number 4 in anyway.

[Leszek]

Ok who made the capsule out of heatshrink?

Ba Dum Tish.

So who wants to bet China is the first to put a human on Mars?

[Kryten]

I love some people thought that next was Chang'e 4. But I knew it was going to be named Chang'e 5 because in China 4 is an unlucky number, basically like the Asian version of 13. The Chinese and the rest of the Far East avoid using the number 4 in anyway.

This isn't Change 5, it's an engineering test vehicle for Chang'e 5. The next mission is still planned to be Chang'e 4.

[dharak1]

Oh man they can definitely do a manned mission. Get someone curled up in that bugger with some doritos, mountain dew and a PS Vita and I would do it if I got to go around the moon and see it even out of that tiny circle. Seems like a nice cozy way to spend a few weeks.

[1greywind]

Looks like capsule return was not the end of mission:

http://scitech.people.com.cn/n/2014/1129/c1007-26117778.html

Service module was not burned up in Earth's atmosphere. Instead, it stayed on highly eccentric orbit (540000x600 km). In one apoapsis he made this photo of Earth with Moon on background (distance from Earth ~ 540000 km and ~ 920000 km from Moon):

On Nov 23 they made a correction burn and on Nov 27 Chang'e service module entered Lissajous orbit around Moon-Earth L2 point:

Looks like they planing to return sample from Moon's far side and this flight also tested use of service module as data relay for communication with probe landed on Far side.

[jfull]

So who wants to bet China is the first to put a human on Mars?

that would be amazing, but I'm not sure if it will happen.

China may want to focus on lunar exploration for a while even after they land their first man on the moon.

If I'm not mistaken, the moon has some importance in Chinese culture, and a lot of their manned space program's purpose seems to be to inspire some degree of patriotic pride in their people.

[xenomorph555]

that would be amazing, but I'm not sure if it will happen.

China may want to focus on lunar exploration for a while even after they land their first man on the moon.

If I'm not mistaken, the moon has some importance in Chinese culture, and a lot of their manned space program's purpose seems to be to inspire some degree of patriotic pride in their people.

You are correct, China cares very little for a manned mars mission. To them the endgame is a large lunar base not a single small landing mission.