嫦娥5号探测器今年将带回月球土壤

China's unmanned lunar probe Chang'e-5, set to belaunched around December 2017, will bring lunar soilsamples back to Earth, says Wu Yanhua, deputychief of the China National Space Administration.

国家航天局副局长吴艳华近日表示，我国将于2017年12月前后发射嫦娥五号无人月球探测器，嫦娥五号将携月球土壤样品返回地球。

The just-concluded Chang'e-3 mission marked thecompletion of the second phase of China's lunarprogram, which included orbiting and landing on themoon and returning to Earth.

刚刚结束的嫦娥三号任务标志着中国探月计划第二阶段的完成，这一阶段包括在月球轨道上运行、登陆月球以及返回地球。

The third phase, which includes unmanned sampling before returning to Earth, will follow thelaunch of Chang'e-5.

而探月计划的第三阶段，其中包括在返回地球之前的无人采样，将通过发射嫦娥五号来完成。

 

 

According to Ye Peijian, an expert with the China Aerospace Science and TechnologyCorporation Fifth Research Academy, Chang'e-5 will consist of the orbiter, the return vehicle,the ascender and the lander.

据中国航天科技集团公司第五研究院专家叶培建表示，嫦娥五号探测器是由轨道器、返回器、上升器、着陆器等多个部分组成。

The orbiter and return vehicle will orbit the moon, while the lander and ascender will land on themoon.

轨道器和返回器将绕月运行，而上升器和着陆器则将登陆月球。

Hu Hao, the chief designer of the third phase of China's lunar program, said Chang'e-5 weighs8.2 tons and will be launched by the carrier rocket Long March 5.

据中国探月工程三期总设计师胡浩介绍，嫦娥五号重达8.2吨，将由长征五号运载火箭发射。

The mission is expected to achieve four firsts for China since the country initiated its spaceexploration programs: first unmanned sampling, first takeoff from the moon's surface, firstunmanned docking on the moon orbiting 380,000 km from Earth, and first return to Earth withlunar soil samples at a speed close to the escape velocity.

此次任务有望实现我国开展太空探索工程以来的四个"首次"：首次自动采样;首次从月面起飞;首次在距地38万公里外的月球轨道上进行无人交会对接;首次带着月壤样品以接近第二宇宙速度返回地球。