Author Topic: LIVE: Chang'e-3 lunar probe and rover Lunar Landing December 14, 2013  (Read 717727 times)

Offline Dalhousie

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Nanoseconds refers to the time taken fore the signal to return, it can be approximately correlated to depth, although it is dependent on the physical properties of the substratum.  With multiple channels it should be possible to stack the returns, giving better resolution.
Apologies in advance for any lack of civility - it's unintended

Offline Star One

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Is it likely we will hear about the lander's health today?
« Last Edit: 02/13/2014 06:37 am by Star One »

Offline mtakala24

I thought the lander's signal was confirmed earlier already.

Offline plutogno

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I have asked uhf_satcom whether he thought that the Yutu signal was coming from the LGA or HGA. intercepting a signal from the HGA would confirm that the antenna+camera mast is deployed and still functional. he answered that

Quote
based on previous signals I would reckon what I see is from the LGA. So far only seen 1 'test' via the HGA
« Last Edit: 02/13/2014 10:07 am by plutogno »

Offline JohnFornaro

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Yayy Yutu.  They need to send up a digital cawwot.
Sometimes I just flat out don't get it.

Offline Apollo-phill

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Here is a digital carrot for Yutu :-))

This carrot was grown by myself and Dr Ian Richards in Icelandic Surtsey Island "virgin" tephra ash ( a lunar simulant per Dr Gene Simmons, then NASA Chief Lunar Geologist) ) way back in 1975 in support of work on space settlement crop growing studies.


Phill Parker
UK


Offline Lsquirrel

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The above slides as a single pdf.
Thanks a bunch for those, Blackstar! Who presented those?

I have found the presentation on the stsc 2014 meeting:
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/COPUOS/stsc/2014/index.html

here is presentations:
http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/en/COPUOS/stsc/2014/presentations.html
The progress and achievement of Chang'e-3
Q. Wang, China    Powerpoint Presentation

« Last Edit: 02/14/2014 02:19 am by Lsquirrel »

Offline Steven Pietrobon

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Thanks Lsquirrel and lllzh. OK, assuming a refractive index n = 1.65, this gives an approximate depth d = T*c/(2*n) we have at

8 ns <= 0.7 m (smooth layer)
9.5 ns <= 0.9 m (dark layer)
16 ns <= 1.5 m (striped layers)
120 ns <= 11 m (wavy layers)

The other plot shows

2200 ns <= 200 m (wavy layers)
3700 ns <= 340 m (smooth layer)

The horizontal lines at 2200 ns could indicate the boundary between the light northern mare and the dark mare where Chang'e 3 landed. I presume dark areas have low reflectivity and white areas have high reflectivity. Anyone want to take a stab at what that dark layer near the top is? It can't be ice as the Apollo core samples went below that depth. I'm sure the geologists will have a lot of fun trying to interpret this data.
« Last Edit: 02/14/2014 04:44 am by Steven Pietrobon »
Akin's Laws of Spacecraft Design #1:  Engineering is done with numbers.  Analysis without numbers is only an opinion.

Offline Dalhousie

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The top layer with the parallel stripes is most likely near surface noise.  You see it in all GPR plots, seismic too.
Apologies in advance for any lack of civility - it's unintended

Offline plutogno

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A preprint which appeared online a few days ago: Geologic characteristics of the Chang’E-3 exploration region

that article has now been printed in Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy - see http://phys.scichina.com:8083/sciGe/EN/abstract/abstract508651.shtml and it also has made the cover of the journal: http://phys.scichina.com:8083/sciGe/fileup/COVER/20140212181816.jpg

Offline Apollo-phill

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It is now nearly a week since the Change'3/Yutu area was sunlit .

Where are the further updates on how the technicians are dealing with trying resurrect Yutu ?

They must have had further data downlinked by now (?) and maybe a better understanding of the fault/s ?

A daily bulletin from the Chinese Space Agency - no matter how short - would be ideal ?

Remember,CSA, we are supporting you, Change'3 and Yutu !


A-P

Offline Danderman

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Well, the Chinese don't seem to care much about whether we are supporting them or not.

One new issue is if the "top" cannot closely correctly, this may also expose the interior to heat from the sun, which is not fun.

Offline Apollo-phill

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I was flipping through my image collections earlier and came across this image of a Yutu   poster displayed at Paris Air show last year. Not the best image since poster was quite a distance from me and I used zoom hence pixelation

Apollo-phill
« Last Edit: 02/20/2014 06:36 pm by Apollo-phill »

Offline hop

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One new issue is if the "top" cannot closely correctly, this may also expose the interior to heat from the sun, which is not fun.
My impression is that one of the solar panels forms the lid so open during the day is the nominal config. If they are stuck part way, that could be a problem.

Online Galactic Penguin SST

Looks like the "problem" is wheel/bogie related, as it turns out that Yutu was almost fully operational on the third lunar day (which it didn't move for the whole period), with the PanCam, VIRS and GPM working (I assume that the APXS is too, just that ground controllers aren't bothered with pulling its arm out): http://www.chinanews.com/mil/2014/02-23/5870836.shtml

And of course the lander's LUT and EUV imager were working as well for the whole lunar day. The lander went into hibernation for the 3rd lunar night yesterday, with the lander following several hours ago.

Here's a (new?) photo by the PanCam of the rover:
« Last Edit: 02/23/2014 06:04 am by Galactic Penguin SST »
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 lamaluyang

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This photo was taken by Yutu.

Looks like the "problem" is wheel/bogie related, as it turns out that Yutu was almost fully operational on the third lunar day (which it didn't move for the whole period), with the PanCam, VIRS and GPM working (I assume that the APXS is too, just that ground controllers aren't bothered with pulling its arm out): http://www.chinanews.com/mil/2014/02-23/5870836.shtml

And of course the lander's LUT and EUV imager were working as well for the whole lunar day. The lander went into hibernation for the 3rd lunar night yesterday, with the lander following several hours ago.

Here's a (new?) photo by the PanCam of the lander:

Online Galactic Penguin SST

This photo was taken by Yutu.

Looks like the "problem" is wheel/bogie related, as it turns out that Yutu was almost fully operational on the third lunar day (which it didn't move for the whole period), with the PanCam, VIRS and GPM working (I assume that the APXS is too, just that ground controllers aren't bothered with pulling its arm out): http://www.chinanews.com/mil/2014/02-23/5870836.shtml

And of course the lander's LUT and EUV imager were working as well for the whole lunar day. The lander went into hibernation for the 3rd lunar night yesterday, with the lander following several hours ago.

Here's a (new?) photo by the PanCam of the lander:

Yup - I typed the wrong word.

Here's the news report in English: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2014-02/23/c_133136587.htm
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 Apollo-phill

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BEIJING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar rover Yutu entered its third planned dormancy on Saturday, with the mechanical control issues that might cripple the vehicle still unresolved.

According to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND), Yutu only carried out fixed point observations during its third lunar day, equivalent to about two weeks on Earth.

Yutu's radar, panorama camera and infrared imaging equipment are functioning normally, the control issues that have troubled the rover since January persist.

==========================================================================

At last  - some news (whether bad/good). In this case - at least hopeful !

Some news on Change'3 lander would be useful,too.

Still rooting and supporting for you,China

Go China


A-P


Online Galactic Penguin SST

The "problem" with the rover has finally been reported: some sort of electrical problem with the motor-driving circuit board. That's still unresolved as of right now so some luck is needed again for the rover to wake up on the next lunar sunrise.

Source
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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