TOKYO: A Chinese lunar service module of China’s unmanned lunar orbiter has just successfully completed the first round trip braking which allows the module to enter its lunar orbit as scheduled.
Liu Junze, director of the Flight Management Department of the center, said the module is expected to carry out some scientific experiment when orbiting.
“The orbit has a new 43-degree angle of inclination orbit, which is different from those the Chang’e-1 and Chang’e-2 used. It will be possibly used by Chang’e-5 so we have to do some beforehand experimenting for the docking.”
The module will enter a 127-minute round lunar orbit 12 minutes later after another two brakings occur today and tomorrow.
The service module left the Earth-Moon second Lagrange Point on January 4 and returned to the moon to prepare for the country’s next lunar probe mission, Chang’e-5.
