Chinese state media reported that a Chinese spacecraft service module has entered the moon's orbit. The spacecraft sample was part of the country's breakthrough lunar test flight, according to Scientific American.
On Oct. 24, China's test orbiter launched and orbited the moon in eight days. A return capsule was ejected on Nov. 1 and parachuted back to Earth. The service module then headed for the Earth-Moon Lagrangian (L2) position and circled three times before making its way for the moon's orbit.
"It was the first time for a Chinese spacecraft to reach the L2 point, and the service module completed three circles around the point, expanding probe missions," Vice Director of China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) Zhao Wenbo told state-run Xinhuanews agency, according to Scientific American.
A camera system is in place on the service module so future landing sites can be identified. Chang'e 5, a robotic sample scooper, plans to return in 2017 for a soft landing, according to Scientific American.
