Overall design of unmanned lunar sampling and return project—Chang’e-5 mission

The Chang’e-5 mission is the aerospace project with the highest complexity and largest technical span in China. In this paper, the mission objectives and main technical specifications of the mission are introduced, and the project technical scheme is described in terms of the system composition, design constraints, and flight profile. The focus is on seven aspects of technological innovation, such as a novel scheme of return of samples of extraterrestrial objects and two sampling modes—surface sampling and drilling. Eight large-scale tests involving mission matching, coordination, and correctness were analyzed. The tests included the re-entry flight test and a comprehensive test of lunar surface landing and taking-off. The results can provide an important reference for other extraterrestrial sample return missions.