Chang’e << CHAHNG uh >> is any of a series of Chinese space probes sent to explore Earth’s moon. Since 2007, the Chinese space program has used Chang’e probes to test lunar exploration technology, capture photographs, take scientific measurements, collect samples, and investigate sites for future moon missions. The probes were named after a moon goddess in Chinese mythology.
The first Chang’e missions were designed as orbiters. Chang’e 1 entered lunar orbit in 2007. It was joined by Chang’e 2 in 2010. These two spacecraft mapped the surface of the moon and identified minerals there. During these missions, the Chinese space program tested capabilities for tracking and controlling distant spacecraft. To further test these capabilities, in 2011, mission planners sent Chang’e 2 away from the moon to a Lagrange point called L2. A Lagrange point is a special point near two astronomical objects—in this case, Earth and the sun—where their gravitational pulls are in balance. Chang’e 2 eventually left L2 to visit the asteroid Toutatis. The spacecraft flew by Toutatis in 2012.
China became the third nation to achieve a soft landing on the moon in 2013, when Chang’e 3 landed undamaged. Previously, this had been accomplished only by the United States and the Soviet Union. Chang’e 3 carried a rover, Yutu. The rover was named after a mythical rabbit who is said to live with Chang’e on the moon. Technical problems stopped the rover from moving in early 2014, but Yutu continued transmitting scientific data. The rover ceased operations in 2016.
Chang’e 4 was the first spacecraft from any country to land on the far side of the moon (the side that faces away from Earth). The spacecraft landed in 2019. It carried a second rover, Yutu-2. The Chang’e 4 mission takes photos of the moon and conducts astronomy experiments. The far side of the moon is a good location for certain astronomy observations because the moon blocks radio transmissions from Earth. Chang’e 4 also carries a sealed capsule containing seeds, fruit fly eggs, and yeast. The experiment studies how lunar gravity affects these things.
The Chang’e program has also returned samples of moon rocks to Earth. In 2020, China’s Chang’e 5 spacecraft collected samples of lunar material. A capsule returned the samples to Earth. They were the first lunar samples collected since the Soviet Luna 24 mission in 1976. Previous lunar samples contained rocks that were between 3.1 and 4.4 billion years old, but Chang’e collected rocks that are less than 2 billion years old. Scientists can study these samples to better understand how the moon and other rocky bodies form and develop.
The Chinese space program plans to develop a crewed moon exploration program. Future Chang’e missions are planned to assess technology for a crewed lunar outpost.
See also Moon (Exploration by spacecraft).
