Images of the lunar surface were returned during the descent China’s Chang’e-3 mission to the moon before Christmas was the first robotic soft landing since 1976. Twelve days before the successful touchdown, the probe was launched on a Chinese Long March 3B launch vehicle. The final descent manoeuvre was executed on Saturday 14 December, and 11 minutes later the vehicle soft-landed at 13.11 UT on a desolate volcanic plain in the Sinus Iridium (Bay of Rainbows) region of the lunar surface. Some hours later at 20.35 UT the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover was deployed, beginning an intended exploratory mission of around 3 months. Throughout the descent, and rover deployment images of each stage of the process were returned to Earth, giving confirmation of successful operation in addition to the usual means of relayed telemetry.
Landing site in the Bay of Rainbows The rover has a very capable scientific payload, stands about 1.5 m in height with a mass of around 120 kg. In terms of ‘performance’it’s claimed its max speed is about 200 m/hour and can climb gradients up to 30 degrees. Power is supplied by solar arrays, and it’s believed that it is also equipped with RHUs (radioisotope heater units) to keep it warm during the long lunar nights.
The Chang'e-3 'mother ship' on the lunar surface So what does this very public display of space prowess on the part of the Chinese say about the Chinese space programme? I think the main conclusion to be drawn is that the Chinese space exploration programme has something that the corresponding American programme
lacks – and that is a clear direction. Don’t misunderstand me here –I’m not writing this to criticise the US activity. The Americans have over decades ‘fought a hard-won battle’ to secure leadership in human space exploration, and it grieves many spectators (including myself) to see that role eroded. America's space exploration programme is currently fraught with
confusion and a conspicuous lack of funding. Ever since Obama administration cancelled Bush's Constellation program that would have returned Americans to the moon, NASA’s near-term goal in human space exploration has been to visit an asteroid. However how Americans will get there is still an open question. On the other hand, it seems likely that the clear goal of the Chinese activity is to land people on the moon by the 2020s, and most likely there will not be US astronauts there to greet them.
lacks – and that is a clear direction. Don’t misunderstand me here –I’m not writing this to criticise the US activity. The Americans have over decades ‘fought a hard-won battle’ to secure leadership in human space exploration, and it grieves many spectators (including myself) to see that role eroded. America's space exploration programme is currently fraught with
confusion and a conspicuous lack of funding. Ever since Obama administration cancelled Bush's Constellation program that would have returned Americans to the moon, NASA’s near-term goal in human space exploration has been to visit an asteroid. However how Americans will get there is still an open question. On the other hand, it seems likely that the clear goal of the Chinese activity is to land people on the moon by the 2020s, and most likely there will not be US astronauts there to greet them.
Image of the Jade Rabbit rover, taken by the 'mother ship'. In the long run, this rivalry from Asia can only be a good thing in spurring competing nations (principally the USA) to action. In the meanwhile, I would like to congratulate the People’s Republic of China on this impressive display of technology and operational expertise!
RSS Feed
