Chang'e 3 - Chinese Moon Rover

[MartG]

As mentioned in the 'Curiosity' thread, the Chinese are planning to launch a moon rover in 2013. It will be the first craft to soft land on the moon since 1976.

The RTG powered static lander component will be equipped as an observatory capable of carrying out astronomical observations. The solar powered rover is expected to travel up to 10km from the lander.



More information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e_3

[Eric Mc]

Not sure of the major benefit of an astronomical obseervatory if it is only going to operate on the near side of the moon. The sky is never completely free of light pollution on the near side - you either have the full sun or lots of earth light or both.

Astronomical observatories on the moon will work best on the far side - where they would have 14 days of complete blackness.

If the astronomical observatory is a "proof of concept", it might hint that the Chinese have ambitions to set up a far side observatory - which would require placing communication satellites in orbit around the moon.

That would be good.

[MartG]

It certainly would - something like the TDRSS satellites NASA use placed in Lunar orbit would do the trick ( though I think they'd need a lot more station-keeping fuel to remain in a stable orbit due to the irregularity of the moon's gravitational field and the peturbation caused by the earth's gravity ).

[Eric Mc]

Which we now know a lot more about due to GRAIL.

[FourWheelDrift]

Newly released HD images from China’s Chang’e 3 Moon lander

Landed in 2013 but these are new.

http://www.physics-astronomy.com/2017/05/china-rea...

[Eric Mc]

I wonder why they took so long to release these images. they need some lessons in PR.

[Simpo Two]

I didn't even know China had landed something on the moon. Perhaps it was a 30-second throwaway news item after the usual twice-daily helping of politics and non-news.

[Eric Mc]

As you can see - we were chatting about it here at the time it was happening.

They've got a few more landers lined up, including one for the far side, which will be a genuine first.

[MartG]

Chang'e 5's sample return capsule safely lifted off from the Moon and has now docked with the Earth return spacecraft in lunar orbit

https://twitter.com/launchstuff/status/13354376009...