Chasing dreams for nine days, and exploration will never stop. Today is the human moon day, let’s review China’s lunar exploration journey.
1991
1991, my country's aerospace experts proposed to carry out lunar exploration projects.
1998
1998, National Defense Science and Technology Commission officially began planning and demonstration of lunar exploration projects, and carried out advanced scientific and technological research.
2004
2004, the project was approved for the moon detection project. On February 25, the first meeting of the Leading Group for the Moon-orbiting Exploration Project was held. The meeting passed the "General Requirements for the Development of the Moon-orbiting Exploration Project" and also named the project "Chang'e Project".
2007
On October 24, 2007, Chang'e-1 was successfully launched in Xichang . On November 7, the Chang'e-1 satellite accurately entered the lunar orbit. At around 9:40 on November 26, a voice from Chang'e-1 and the song "Singing the Motherland" were sent back from the moon orbit. The first lunar image of China's first lunar exploration project was released.
On November 26, 2007, the National Space Administration officially released the first lunar image sent back by the Chang'e-1 satellite. Xinhua News Agency issued
2008
On November 12, 2008, the "China's First All-Moon Image Map" produced by Chang'e-1 shooting data was released. It was the most complete image of the lunar image map that had been published in the world at that time.
China's first all-lunar image map (Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences website)
2010
October 1, 2010 18:59:57, the "Long March 3 C" carrier rocket was launched ignited at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in my country, successfully sending Chang'e-2 satellite into space. On October 29, the Chang'e-2 satellite successfully completed the imaging mission of the moon's rainbow Bay Area.
Chang'e-3 pre-selected local image map of the moon Hongwan area of the pre-selected landing area by the Chang'e-2 satellite. Xinhua News Agency issued
2013
On December 2, 2013, the Chang'e-3 satellite was successfully launched at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. On December 14, China's first lunar rover, , successfully landed softly in the northwest of the Moon Rain Sea ("Hongwan Landing Zone"). Chang'e-3 has realized soft landing and patrol exploration of extraterrestrial bodies in China for the first time.
"Yutu" lunar rover. Xinhua News Agency issued
2016
As of December 14, 2016, the Chang'e-3 lander has been working successfully on the lunar surface for the third anniversary, setting the longest record for the working time of the human probe on the lunar surface so far.
Chang'e-3 ignition and launch moment. People's Daily launches
2018
At 5:28 on May 21, 2018, my country successfully launched the Chang'e-4 mission Queqiao relay satellite at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center with the Long March 4 C carrier rocket . On December 8, Chang'e-4 was successfully launched.
2019
On January 3, 2019, Chang'e-4 successfully landed on the surface of the moon, becoming the first probe to land on the back of the moon. Chang'e-4 lunar rover, namely Yutu-2 , starts a scientific research and exploration journey on the back of the moon.
Yutu 2 rover panoramic camera imaged the Chang'e-4 lander. (Source: China Lunar Exploration and Deep Space Exploration Network)
2020
On November 24, 2020, the Long March 5 Yaowu launch vehicle was successfully launched and sent to the predetermined orbit. This is the first lunar probe to implement unmanned lunar surface sampling and return. In the early morning of December 17, the CC5 returner carried lunar samples safely landed in the designated area of Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia.
In the early morning of December 17, the Chang'e-5 returner carried lunar samples and reentered in a semi-ballistic jump method, landing safely in the pre-ordered area of Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia.Xinhua News Agency reporter Lian Zhen Photo by
2021
27 February 27, 2021, the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Moon Sample No. 001·Witnessing the Chinese Flying Dream" was held at National Museum of China . The exhibition will fully demonstrate the Chinese's struggle to achieve "grabbing the moon into the nine heavens" through the "lunar sample 001" brought back by the Chang'e-5 lunar probe and more than 40 physical objects in the lunar exploration project.
On February 28, 2021, in Beijing, citizens and tourists are visiting the exhibition "Moon Sample No. 001·Witnessing the Chinese Flying Dream" at the National Museum of China. Oriental ICh Photo provided by
Previously, my country's lunar exploration project was planned to be three phases: orbit, fall and return. , "orbiting" refers to the development and launch of my country's first lunar exploration satellite from 2004 to 2007 (Phase I), and the implementation of lunar orbiting detection; "falling" refers to the first soft landing and automatic patrol survey of the moon around 2013 (Phase II); "return" refers to the first automatic sampling and return detection of lunar samples before 2020 (Phase III).
On April 24, 2022, the National Space Administration announced that the fourth phase of the lunar exploration project, has officially started the development of the engineering. In the future, Chang'e 6 , Chang'e 7, and Chang'e 8 probes will be launched one after another, and mission-critical technology research and development and construction of the international lunar scientific research station will be carried out one after another. Among them, Chang'e-6 plans to take samples on the back of the moon and is demonstrating the construction of a constellation of the lunar communication navigation satellite.
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