Guidance navigation and control technology for the lunar ascent vehicle of the Chang’e-5 mission

Abstract

<p indent="0mm">The limitations of the remote control network and the lunar launch platform mean that many technologies differing from those of carrier rockets of the earth are required to transport samples from the hostile lunar environment. The Chang’e-5 mission uses some new techniques, such as the autonomous celestial positioning and orientating method, gravity measurement, and the adaptive powered explicit guidance algorithm, to improve the precision of entry into orbit. Furthermore, other techniques, including the fault diagnosis algorithm with threshold dynamic adjustment, thrust detection and reconstruction, non-interactive emergency guidance for ascent, and an autonomous orbit control strategy for salvage, are adopted to improve the safety of ascent from the lunar surface. These techniques enabled China to complete the moon launch successfully in the historic Lunar Sample Return mission.