Author Topic: LIVE: Chang'e-3 lunar probe and rover Lunar Landing December 14, 2013  (Read 717688 times)

Offline Robert Thompson

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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."

Online Galactic Penguin SST

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.  ;)
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

Offline plutogno

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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."

Offline Lsquirrel

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according to @uhf_satcom,yutu's signals have been received,loud and clear,it's awake
« Last Edit: 09/07/2014 03:37 am by Lsquirrel »

Offline Dalhousie

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Frustrating!
Apologies in advance for any lack of civility - it's unintended

Offline NovaSilisko

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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...

Offline plutogno

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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

Offline Blackstar

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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"


Offline Blackstar

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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?


Offline plutogno

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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.

Offline Phil Stooke

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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

Offline plutogno

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Offline Blackstar

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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."


Offline plutogno

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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

Offline Blackstar

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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."


Offline plutogno

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Offline Blackstar

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Offline plutogno

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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

Offline Star One

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Thanks for that link.:)

Offline Blackstar

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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.
« Last Edit: 11/25/2014 09:03 pm by Blackstar »

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