China's Chang'e-5 probe decelerated and entered lunar orbit on Saturday, completing a vital step on its way to collect and return moon samples, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced.

The probe performed the braking at perilune without incident and entered the lunar orbit successfully, according to real-time monitoring data. Braking at perilune is a critical maneuver, as the probe, traveling at a high speed, needs to carry out braking to lower its relative velocity, to enable it to be captured by lunar gravity.