Madrid, 22 (Europe Press)
The orbiter of the Lunar Mission Chang’e 5 has reached the first Lagrange Point (L1) of the Sun-Earth System, becoming the first Chinese mission in this distant orbit to explore the sun.
The orbit is located 936,700 kilometers from Earth and operates normally with a steady position and balanced force. It will operate in orbit exploring the L1 point in the Sun-Earth system for about six months, according to reports from the Beijing Space Center, citing Xinhua News Agency.
After returning from the moon to Earth with the return model, the orbiter deviated before reaching our planet to take advantage of its fuel and head to its new destination, with the aim of expanding its mission and conducting observations of the sun.
The orbiter separated from the LRM on December 17, 2020 and the long-range management phase began on December 21.
The orbit took about 88 days to move to L1 from the Sun-Earth system after performing two orbital maneuvers and two midway correction under the team’s control and control.
Point L1 Lagrange is located on the line connecting the Sun and the Earth, about 1.5 million km from Earth. This is the point of dynamic gravitational equilibrium between the Earth and the sun.
It is easiest for spacecraft to maintain a relatively stable operating condition and save fuel at that point, and it is also the best location for a solar observatory to constantly monitor the sun or the sunny side of the Earth.
