China launches Chang'e 5 to get rocks from the moon
If, on the other hand, it hits the atmosphere at the wrong angle — if it "splashes" on the surface — the spacecraft could fail completely and burn up.
But we've all tried skipping stones on water, and some go farther than you'd expect. And that may also go for spacecraft, potentially. Which poses another challenge for the retrieval team as the return capsule may land — somewhere — over a very large area.
Historic mission, either way
It is the third time that China has landed a spacecraft on the moon, starting with Chang'e 3 and then Chang'e 4.