这份来自月球的“土特产”，正在打包！

据国家航天局消息，12月1日23时11分，嫦娥五号探测器稳稳降落在月球正面西经51.8度、北纬43.1度附近的预选着陆区，并传回着陆影像图。

这是中国探测器第三次在月球表面成功软着陆，也是人类探测器首次踏足月球上的这一区域。

The Chang'e-5 probe successfully landed on the near side of the moon, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on Tuesday.

With the space probe's ascender on top, its lander made a touchdown at around 11:00 p.m. (Beijing Time), becoming China's third probe that has successfully made a soft landing on the moon. It has sent back footage of the moment it landed. 

Footage of the landing moment sent back by Chang'e-5

主动减速、快速调整、迅速接近、精准选点、稳步着陆……整个落月过程，一系列复杂精细的动作都由嫦娥五号自主完成，犹如一位在月球凌空漫步的袅袅仙子，婀娜多姿。

着陆后，在地面测控方和空间应用科学任务的支持下，嫦娥五号依次完成状态检查、预备工作状态设置和着陆区成像等任务。

It took around 15 minutes for two of the spacecraft's four modules to make the descent from a circular orbit of 15 kilometers above the moon's surface.

The landing sites of Chang'e-5 and previous spacecraft from the U.S. and Russia. /CNSA

据了解，此次嫦娥五号的月球着陆区域名叫“风暴洋”。区域周围有1300米高的火山群，环境之险峻名副其实，让嫦娥五号此行充满探险的意味。

科学家们认为，着陆在此是十分明智的选择。从地球上看起来，这里像是广阔、黑暗的熔岩平原。过去还从未有任何人类探测器到访过此地。

小科普：着陆地为何选在这里？

虽然这里和嫦娥三号在月球虹湾着陆点的纬度基本相当，但根据目前研究成果，这块区域形成的地质年代较短，只有约37亿年。中科院国家天文台专家表示，此次嫦娥五号有望获取最年轻的月球样品，在月球火山活动和演化历史研究等方面取得原创性的科学成果。

The landing site is located in the Ocean of Storms, a region in the northern hemisphere of the near side of the moon with flat terrain, ideal temperature, light and communication conditions. This is an untouched place that has never been visited by human being or spacecraft, which means samples from here can offer new information, according to CNSA.

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嫦娥五号开启“挖土”模式

落月之后，此时的“嫦娥”正在做什么呢？

答案是——“挖土！”

据最新报道，北京时间12月2日4时53分，嫦娥五号着陆器和上升器组合体完成了月球钻取采样及封装。

The Chang'e-5 spacecraft has sealed up soil samples obtained from beneath the Moon's surface, and is ready to continue collecting more samples from the surface, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said Wednesday. 

The lander first drilled a 2-meter-deep hole, digging out soil, and sealed it up at 4:53 a.m. on Wednesday. Next, it will use its robotic arms to scoop up more samples from the lunar surface for backup.

根据计划，嫦娥五号将在月球获取2公斤左右的“土特产”并带回地球。

小科普：为什么是2公斤？

我国通过嫦娥一号到嫦娥四号多次任务的技术积累，希望在嫦娥五号月球采样任务中能够达到公斤级的目标。而为了保证任务的成功，并结合火箭运载能力，采样2公斤的设定是一个较为合理的结果。国家航天局探月与航天工程中心副主任、探月工程三期副总设计师裴照宇表示，以2公斤作为输入去设计探测器，探测器重量便达到了8.2吨。“如果我们要增加样品的量，整个探测器很多指标都会增长，就会超过火箭的运载能力。”

These samples, expected to weigh about 2 kilograms, will be sealed in what scientists have described as a long "sausage-like package".

为了提高采样的可靠性，增加样品的多样性，嫦娥五号将通过“钻取”和“表取”两种方式采集月球样品。

“表取”，顾名思义就是从月球表面通过机械臂和机械爪的配合，抓取一部分月壤；而“钻取”则是要通过特殊的钻头，钻到月表以下两米左右的位置，把月壤整体取出来。

 Chang'e-5 is about to bring back 2 kilograms samples back to earth. /CCTV screenshot

“这样能够更加原汁原味地保留月表以下两米的月壤构造情况，让科学家们能够更加清楚地了解到月壤的构造和分布以及每一层的特征”，中国航天科技集团五院嫦娥五号探测器钻取子系统技术负责人王国欣说。

据了解，目前，着陆器和上升器组合体正按计划进行表取采样。

These precious soils obtained from the Moon are expected to provide information about its geological evolution and offer insights into solar activities in the universe, according to the mission team.

The Chang'e-5 probe includes a lander, ascender, orbiter, and return vehicle. The sealed packages will be stored in the ascender, which will lift off from the Moon's surface to transfer the samples to the returner and orbiter waiting in lunar orbit. The unmanned rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit will be the first such task conducted by China.  

At the proper time, the returner will then separate from the orbiter and carry the samples back to Earth, finally landing in north China's Inner Mongolia. 

此次任务也备受国际航天界瞩目。自1976年前苏联探测器最后一次采集月球样本至今，人类已经44年没有更新月壤样本了。

这份来自月球的“土特产”

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