Chinese orbiter staying in space for tests

China's lunar orbiter continues to undergo tests in space after the return capsule landed on Earth, preparing for a future landing on the moon by Chang'e 5.

When the return capsule of the lunar orbiter separated from the service module and landed in Siziwang Banner of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Nov 1, the service module continued its mission to the moon, arriving at Lagrangian Point L2 on Saturday - an orbiting position of neutral gravity near the side of the moon farthest from the sun, where Chang'e 3 circled before.

"To take maximum advantage of the capacity of the service module to test relevant technologies for Chang'e 5, we are conducting a series of experiments on the service module, including circling the Lagrangian Point L2 and carrying equipment for experiments in orbit," said Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of the China National Space Administration.