By Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo
BEIJING (Reuters) – China on Friday launched a mission to gather samples from the moon’s “hidden” facet, a primary in area exploration historical past, and marked a brand new part in China’s 20-year-old Chang’e lunar programme, named after the legendary moon goddess.
CHANG’E-1
LAUNCH: Oct. 24, 2007
LANDING SITE: Impression level north of Mare Fecunditatis (“Sea of Fertility”) on the close to facet of the moon
MISSION: Below the primary part of China’s lunar exploration programme, the uncrewed Chang’e-1 orbited the moon and took 3-D photos of its landforms and geological constructions in preparation for future landings. The spacecraft was deliberately crashed onto the moon on March 1, 2009, after the mission.
DURATION: The mission was deliberate for 12 months, however lasted for 16 months.
CHANG’E-2
LAUNCH: Oct. 1, 2010
LANDING SITE: None
MISSION: The uncrewed Chang’e 2 orbited the moon and examined a 100-kilometre-high lunar orbit to organize for a mushy touchdown of Chang’e-3. It later prolonged its mission with a fly-by of a near-earth asteroid “4179 Toutatis”.
DURATION: The mission lasted eight months, ending on June 9, 2011. However Chang’e-2 continued on to 4179 Toutatis, capturing photos of the asteroid in December 2012. It misplaced its reference to Earth in mid-2014, having travelled 100 million kilometres (62.1 million miles). It’s anticipated to return to Earth’s neighborhood round 2027.
CHANG’E-3
LAUNCH: Dec. 2, 2013
LANDING SITE: Mare Imbrium (“Sea of Rains”) on the moon’s close to facet
MISSION: Marking the second part of China’s lunar programme, Chang’e-3 accomplished a mushy touchdown on the moon, the primary by any nation since 1976. The mission examined China’s means to soundly and exactly land there. It additionally delivered China’s first lunar rover, Yutu, (“Jade Rabbit”) onto the lunar floor, on which it moved for 118.9 metres (390 ft). Yutu transmitted movies, and dug and analysed soil samples. It was additionally outfitted with a fundamental autonomous navigation system to keep away from collisions.
DURATION: Operations for Chang’e-3’s lander, the module that descended to the lunar floor, was deliberate for one yr. Yutu’s designed lifespan was three months. The stationary lander remains to be operational at this time. Yutu operated for 2 years and 7 months till July 31, 2016.
CHANG’E-4
LAUNCH: Dec. 8, 2018
LANDING SITE: Von Kármán crater within the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the moon’s far facet
MISSION: Chang’e-4 performed the first-ever mushy touchdown on the moon’s far facet carrying the Yutu-2 rover. Yutu-2 moved on the floor for greater than 1,455 metres. The mission examined China’s means to soundly and exactly land on the moon’s far facet, in addition to its communications with floor operations on Earth.
DURATION: Each the lander and rover are nonetheless operational at this time, with communication with Earth facilitated by Queqiao-1 (“Bridge of Magpies”), a relay satellite tv for pc in a halo orbit about 65,000 kilometres from the far facet of the moon.
CHANG’E-5
LAUNCH: Nov. 24, 2020
LANDING SITE: Mons Rümker in Oceanus Procellarum (“Ocean of Storms”) on the moon’s close to facet
MISSION: Below the third part of China’s lunar programme, Chang’e-5 performed China’s first pattern return mission from the moon’s close to facet. It introduced again 1,731 grams (61 oz) of lunar soil samples. Chang’e-5 additionally confirmed {that a} Chinese language spacecraft can safely land and take off from the moon and return to earth.
DURATION: The mission lasted for 23 days. The samples had been introduced again to Earth on Dec. 17, 2020. Chang’e-5’s orbiter remains to be operational.
CHANG’E-6
LAUNCH: Could 3, 2024
LANDING SITE: Apollo crater within the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the moon’s far facet
MISSION: As part 4 of the programme, Chang’e 6 will purchase samples from a facet of the moon that perpetually faces away from Earth. Chang’e-6 will land within the South Pole-Aitken basin, an space with the largest-known affect craters within the photo voltaic system. Chang’e-6 will additional take a look at China’s exact touchdown functionality. Communication with Earth can be primarily by way of the second relay satellite tv for pc, Queqiao-2, that orbits the moon.
DURATION: Anticipated to final 53 days.
CHANG’E-7
PLANNED LAUNCH: 2026
PLANNED LANDING SITE: Close to the southeast ridge of Shackleton crater within the lunar South Pole on the moon’s far facet
MISSION: Chang’e-7 will probe for sources, together with ice.
DURATION: Chang’e-7’s orbiter, lander and rover may have a lifespan of eight years. A mini “flying” probe, able to “leaping” into craters to seek for water, may have a lifespan of six months.
CHANG’E-8
PLANNED LAUNCH: 2028
PLANNED LANDING SITE: The lunar south pole on the moon’s far facet
MISSION: Chang’e-8 will land on the lunar South Pole and confirm in-situ useful resource improvement. It’s going to additionally conduct a 3D-printing experiment utilizing in-situ sources to construct a construction, testing a type of know-how for the development of a lunar base. Chang’e-8 will embrace a lander, a rover and a robotic.
DURATION: Unknown
UNNAMED CREWED MISSION
PLANNED LAUNCH: By 2030
LANDING SITE: Unknown
MISSION: China plans its first crewed lunar mission, touchdown two astronauts on the moon by 2030, on a spacecraft named Mengzhou (“Vessel of Goals”) and a lander referred to as Lanyue (“Embracing the Moon”).
DURATION: Unknown
(Reporting by Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo. Enhancing by Gerry Doyle)
