Author Topic: LIVE: Chang'e-3 lunar probe and rover Lunar Landing December 14, 2013 (Read 517006 times)

Robert Thompson · « **Reply #880 on:** 07/22/2014 01:09 AM »

http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2014/07211715-change-3-update-still-alive.html
"I'm curious what will happen to the Chang'e-2-like spacecraft after it's separated from the return capsule! Watch that thread on NASAspaceflight.com for more news. In the meantime, here's a photo of the Chang'e 5 return capsule."

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #881 on:** 08/21/2014 06:09 PM »

There is an exhibition about Chang'e 3 (as well as the orbiters #1/2) right now at the Hong Kong Science Museum, which has some big models of the lander and rover, as well as some back up hardware of the science instruments on display. I took some photos yesterday and I shall put them up here shortly.

plutogno · « **Reply #882 on:** 09/06/2014 08:10 AM »

an update in Chinese on Yutu and Chang'e 3: Yutu is about to enter its 10th lunar day and four instruments are operating normally (camera, radar, APXS, IR spectrometer).

Quote

"The lander current physical condition is very good."

Lsquirrel · « **Reply #883 on:** 09/07/2014 01:45 AM »

according to @uhf_satcom，yutu's signals have been received，loud and clear,it's awake

Dalhousie · « **Reply #884 on:** 09/07/2014 09:56 PM »

Frustrating!

NovaSilisko · « **Reply #885 on:** 09/07/2014 10:06 PM »

I feel like the main reason it's surviving as long as it has been is because it's been crippled - thus not moving around and wearing itself down. Just sitting still like it has been though, and nothing's really wearing out.

Still, I'd rather have a shorter-lifetime mobile rover than an infinitely prolonged, immobile, and almost-unusable one...

plutogno · « **Reply #886 on:** 09/17/2014 04:49 PM »

another paper just published in English: Orbit determination of Chang’E-3 and positioning of the lander and the rover
http://www.scibull.com:8080/EN/abstract/abstract509343.shtml

Blackstar · « **Reply #887 on:** 09/30/2014 02:05 AM »

This looks interesting. Anybody in Toronto at the IAC?

http://www.iafastro.net/iac/paper/id/26702/summary/

"overview of china cheng’e – 3 mission and development of follow-on mission"

Blackstar · « **Reply #888 on:** 10/01/2014 05:51 PM »

Okay, got the above paper. It is attached here.

The follow-on section doesn't seem to say anything new. I'd like to know what is the next mission and the sequence of missions leading to sample return. Are they going to re-fly the rover like with CE-3, or just jump straight to sample return?

plutogno · « **Reply #889 on:** 10/01/2014 06:44 PM »

thanks for sharing. you are right, it is puzzling that they write:

Quote

The second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program has been completed, and the third phase is in progress. The engineering goal of the third phase is to realize unmanned sample return from the lunar surface.

Phil Stooke · « **Reply #890 on:** 10/05/2014 04:14 PM »

My understanding of this is that Chang'E 4 will be a rover mission which will test the sample acquisition hardware for Chang'E 5 on the lunar surface (and possibly try to overcome the problems faced by Yutu), launching in 2016 and probably sent to a destination in Oceanus Procellarum where the sample return will also be targeted. A likely specific location would be the youngest known basalt flows, south of Aristarchus.

Phil

plutogno · « **Reply #891 on:** 10/12/2014 07:50 AM »

latest from Xinhua
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-10/10/c_127083174.htm

Blackstar · « **Reply #892 on:** 10/12/2014 11:36 AM »

That article says:

"As the backup probe of Chang'e-3, Chang'e-4 will verify technology for Chang'e-5. The more sophisticated Chang'e-5/6 missions are aimed for tasks including unmanned sampling and returning to Earth.

China plans to launch an experimental recoverable moon orbiter before the end of this year to test technology vital for the success of Chang'e-5."

plutogno · « **Reply #893 on:** 10/18/2014 08:22 AM »

this just out: The preliminary processing and analysis of LPR Channel-2B data from Chang’E-3
it also includes a detailed route map for Yutu

Blackstar · « **Reply #894 on:** 10/21/2014 04:25 PM »

Here's a little bit more. Do we know for sure that they have been unable to close it up every night to stay warm? If they cannot do that and yet the rover is still alive that indicates a pretty robust design.

http://www.leonarddavid.com/chinas-yutu-moon-rover-health-status/

"“Yutu has gone through freezing lunar nights under abnormal status, and its functions are gradually degrading,” Yu told Xinhua.

China’s Chang’e 3 mission – a lander and rover – touched down on the lunar surface in mid-December of 2013."

plutogno · « **Reply #895 on:** 11/15/2014 02:29 PM »

wow! an amazingly detailed paper: High precision landing site mapping and rover localization for Chang'e-3 mission

Blackstar · « **Reply #896 on:** 11/18/2014 07:11 PM »

plutogno · « **Reply #897 on:** 11/24/2014 04:40 PM »

start downloading!
the dedicated Chang'e 3 issue of Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics is finally available:
http://www.raa-journal.org/raa/index.php/raa/issue/view/81

Star One · « **Reply #898 on:** 11/24/2014 06:46 PM »

Thanks for that link.

Blackstar · « **Reply #899 on:** 11/24/2014 08:16 PM »

I grabbed a bunch of those documents, but not all. There is one that is 21 megs and I cannot upload it here. Anybody else who wants to fill in the blanks be my guest.