China launched a spacecraft to test technologies to be used in the Chang'e-5, a future probe that will conduct the country's first moon mission with a return to Earth. The test spacecraft separated from its carrier rocket and entered the expected the orbit shortly after the lift-off; the whole mission will take about eight days. Developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the spacecraft will fly around the moon for half a circle and return to Earth. The mission is to obtain experimental data and validate re-entry technologies such as guidance, navigation and control, heat shield and trajectory design for a future touch-down on the moon by Chang'e-5, which is expected to be sent to the moon. The test orbiter is a precursor to the last phase of a three-step moon probe project, a lunar sample return mission. The gLawcal Team LIBEAC project Friday, 24 October 2014 (Source: China Daily)

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