Lunar probe completes 2nd orbital correction

The Chang'e 5 probe made its second orbital correction on Wednesday morning on its way back to Earth, according to the China National Space Administration.

The orbiter-reentry capsule combination activated two 25-newton-thrust engines at 9:15 am. The engines were operational for about 8 seconds and completed the maneuver, the administration said in a statement.

The first correction was made on Monday morning.

The combination conducted two orbital injection operations over the weekend after traveling in a near-circular lunar orbit for nearly six days. After the injection maneuvers, the pair entered a moon-Earth transfer trajectory.

The reentry capsule is carrying about 2 kilograms of lunar rocks and soil.

After arriving in Earth's orbit, the combination will break up and the reentry capsule will conduct a series of complicated maneuvers before landing at a designated site on the grasslands in Siziwang Banner of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

Chang'e 5, China's largest and most sophisticated lunar probe, consisted of four main components; an orbiter, lander, ascender and reentry capsule. The spacecraft was launched by a Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rocket early on Nov 24 at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, setting out on China's most challenging lunar mission.

If successful, it will be the first time lunar samples have been brought back to Earth since 1976, and China will become only the third country to do so after the United States and the former Soviet Union.