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#40
by
plutogno
on 27 Jul, 2012 15:29
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Will this be China's first nuclear powered space probe?
yep!
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#41
by
savuporo
on 27 Jul, 2012 15:31
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I have seen it reported as an RTG, not as RHUs
see for ex http://www.dragoninspace.com/lunar-exploration/change3.aspx
Thanks for that link.
Its just the lander that seems to have RTG ? Rover is described as solar powered, wonder how is it designed to survive lunar nights. Also it says 90 lunar days design life - wow that would be .. what, 7 years ?
On the "nucular" topic, i found articles referring to MSL as "nuclear tank" so i guess thats the trend.
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#42
by
plutogno
on 27 Jul, 2012 15:43
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from what I understand, the rover seems to be designed to withstand the lunar night without RTGs
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#43
by
Star One
on 27 Jul, 2012 15:55
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Will this be China's first nuclear powered space probe?
yep!
Thanks for that, thought it might be but wasn't one hundred percent on the issue.
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#44
by
pberrett
on 07 Aug, 2012 12:49
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Will the Chinese be releasing a hyped up 7 minutes of Chinese rocket terror video?
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#45
by
Star One
on 07 Aug, 2012 20:39
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Will the Chinese be releasing a hyped up 7 minutes of Chinese rocket terror video?
You hoping they will.
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#46
by
beidou
on 07 Aug, 2012 22:18
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Why do you think they won't?? They have shared the data collected by Chang'E 2...
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#47
by
Star One
on 14 Aug, 2012 16:33
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#48
by
PeterAlt
on 23 Aug, 2012 03:58
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Since the Chinese originally announced Chang'e-1, Chang'e-2 and Chang'e-3 as being the lunar orbit, lunar landing/rover and sample return missions respectively, there is plenty of room for confusion since Chang'e 3 will be the first rover mission!
Maybe we should think of the original designators as being Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 respectively, with the flown Chang'e 1 and 2 being the Phase 1 missions and Chang'e 3 (and Chang'e 4? - even Chang'e 5??) being Phase 2 missions.
You're right that it is phase-1, 2 and 3 being orbiting, landing, and sampling returning respectively.
Each phase has two identical spacecraft built, one being the flying example and the other backup.
With Chang'e 1 successfully orbiting the Moon, there was actually no need to launch Chang'e 2. However, the programme decided to launch it nevertheless, and called it a "Phase-II" mission, a pathfinder for the subsequent Chang'e 3 lunar landing mission.
There was also media report about the first mission in the third-phase being Chang'e 5. So again Chang'e 4 is a back-up spacecraft. I would't be surprised if the mission also goes ahead.
So, what are they planning on doing after Chang'e 6? Would they do a Phase 4 as preparation for crew missions? Or would the focus then shift to Mars, Venus, or some other destination in the solar system?
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#49
by
Phillip Clark
on 23 Aug, 2012 12:25
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After Chang'e 6 I guess the Chinese will decide what comes next! Maybe they will have more than two sample-return missions? Or maybe insert something that they deem to be necessary as an unmanned mission prior to the start of the piloted programme?
But as far as I know, no Chinese discussions have included a "Phase 4" of the Chang'e programme: it appears to stop after the sample-return flights.
All I can say is "let's wait and see". :-)
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#50
by
Star One
on 26 Aug, 2012 20:51
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Since the Chinese originally announced Chang'e-1, Chang'e-2 and Chang'e-3 as being the lunar orbit, lunar landing/rover and sample return missions respectively, there is plenty of room for confusion since Chang'e 3 will be the first rover mission!
Maybe we should think of the original designators as being Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 respectively, with the flown Chang'e 1 and 2 being the Phase 1 missions and Chang'e 3 (and Chang'e 4? - even Chang'e 5??) being Phase 2 missions.
You're right that it is phase-1, 2 and 3 being orbiting, landing, and sampling returning respectively.
Each phase has two identical spacecraft built, one being the flying example and the other backup.
With Chang'e 1 successfully orbiting the Moon, there was actually no need to launch Chang'e 2. However, the programme decided to launch it nevertheless, and called it a "Phase-II" mission, a pathfinder for the subsequent Chang'e 3 lunar landing mission.
There was also media report about the first mission in the third-phase being Chang'e 5. So again Chang'e 4 is a back-up spacecraft. I would't be surprised if the mission also goes ahead.
So, what are they planning on doing after Chang'e 6? Would they do a Phase 4 as preparation for crew missions? Or would the focus then shift to Mars, Venus, or some other destination in the solar system?
Wasn't their some discussion that a Jupiter mission was on their planning schedule?
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#51
by
plutogno
on 26 Aug, 2012 21:02
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#52
by
Star One
on 26 Aug, 2012 21:21
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#53
by
Hungry4info3
on 24 Sep, 2012 14:46
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Looks like rover/lander separation tests. Found it on a Facebook profile, but looks like a TV screengrab.
Edited for clarity.
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#54
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 28 Sep, 2012 09:29
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Looks like rover/lander separation tests. Found it on a Facebook profile, but looks like a TV screengrab.
Hrm. MSR meets Lunikhod!
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#55
by
spacex
on 11 Nov, 2012 03:53
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#56
by
spacex
on 12 Nov, 2012 06:13
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#57
by
Ben the Space Brit
on 12 Nov, 2012 12:07
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Interesting report:
"It will spend 15 days on the moon to lay the foundations of what he called, further deep space exploration."
"After its sampling of the moon's surface, the Chang'e-3 is expected to be retrieved in 2017, according to reports."
http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-11/11/content_15913551.htm
"
RETRIEVED"?!? In
2017?
Okay, Ben, calm down. They're just talking about some kind of roll-on lander/return vehicle although even a RV capable of returning a payload of that size from the lunar surface would be impresive.
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#58
by
Galactic Penguin SST
on 12 Nov, 2012 12:28
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Interesting report:
"It will spend 15 days on the moon to lay the foundations of what he called, further deep space exploration."
"After its sampling of the moon's surface, the Chang'e-3 is expected to be retrieved in 2017, according to reports."
http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-11/11/content_15913551.htm
"RETRIEVED"?!? In 2017?
Okay, Ben, calm down. They're just talking about some kind of roll-on lander/return vehicle although even a RV capable of returning a payload of that size from the lunar surface would be impresive.
I think those reporters have confused CE-3 with the future Chinese lunar sample return mission (most probably CE-5), which is indeed penciled in for 2017.
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#59
by
ChileVerde
on 12 Nov, 2012 14:20
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New article confirming that the rover is to be nuclear powered.
http://www.china.org.cn/china/2012-08/13/content_26214399.htm
Sorry to be getting in on this way late, but that reference says,
Using plutonium-238, the battery will be able to power the 100-kilogram vehicle for more than 30 years, said Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of China's lunar exploration program.
Pu-238? AFAIK, brewing Pu-238 is not a trivial matter. Do we have any other information about China's production of it?
