2000年2月，尼尔号进入环绕小行星运行轨道。此后3个月里，它逐渐靠近爱神星，通过搭载的6台仪 器，获取爱神星的尺寸、质量、密度、磁场、岩石成分以及元素组成等情况。2001年2月12日，尼尔号 降落在爱神星表面，成为世界上首个在小行星表面着陆的探测器。 2003年5月9日，日本发射该国首个小行星探测器——隼鸟号，飞向位于地球和火星之间的丝川小行星。 隼鸟号共采集了约1500颗微粒样品，总质量约0.0018克。 在火星与木星之间的小行星带里，有两颗著名小行星：灶神星和谷神星（国际天文学联合会2006年提出 新定义，将谷神星升格为矮行星）。它们都形成于太阳系早期，并且因为木星引力作用而演化迟缓。灶 神星是与地球类似的岩状天体，谷神星则是典型的冰雪天体，这样两个极不相同的天体竟能同处一个小 行星带，令科学家充满好奇。 2007年9月27日，美国黎明号小行星探测器升空，开始了环绕灶神星和谷神星的探测之旅。经过近4年漫 长旅行，黎明号于2011年7月飞抵灶神星，围绕它运行了14个月，采集了数据和图像。2015年3月，黎明 号进入谷神星轨道，在这里完成了全部使命，直至2018年其燃料耗尽，与地球失去联系。 来源：科技日报 ...

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the significant achievements and future plans of China's lunar exploration program, particularly in the context of the 20th anniversary of the lunar exploration initiative and the ongoing exhibition showcasing its milestones [1][24]. Group 1: Lunar Exploration Milestones - The Chang'e program began in 2004 with a three-step strategy: orbiting, landing, and returning [6]. - Chang'e 1, launched on October 24, 2007, marked China's first lunar satellite, making China the fifth country to launch a lunar probe [4]. - Chang'e 3 successfully landed on the moon on December 14, 2013, carrying the Yutu rover, which set a record for the longest operational time on the lunar surface [8]. - Chang'e 4 achieved the first soft landing on the far side of the moon on January 3, 2019, a historic milestone in lunar exploration [8][11]. Group 2: Technological Innovations and Challenges - The Chang'e 5 mission, launched on November 24, 2020, successfully returned 1,731 grams of lunar samples to Earth on December 17, 2020, marking China's first retrieval of extraterrestrial materials [13]. - The mission involved a complex design with four spacecraft components, showcasing advancements in technology and engineering [13]. - The lunar samples collected have led to over 100 scientific papers, including the discovery of a new mineral named "Chang'e Stone" [19][21]. Group 3: Future Plans and International Collaboration - Future missions include Chang'e 7, aimed at exploring the lunar south pole for water, and Chang'e 8, which will focus on establishing communication and energy systems on the moon [22]. - The program emphasizes international collaboration, inviting other countries and research institutions to participate in lunar exploration efforts [22]. - The overarching goal is to advance lunar exploration and support the construction of a lunar space station over the next 10 to 20 years [22].