Category Archives: Chang’e Program

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 5-8 Jan 2024

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Thailand Pursuing Astronomy from the Moon, Astropark Astronomy Outreach, and International Partnerships

National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) and Mahidol University preparing to conduct cislunar cosmic ray measurement with Sino-Thai Sensor Package for Space Weather Global Monitoring payload on China National Space Administration (CNSA) Chang’E-7 launching to MSP NET 2026; 2.4-m Thai National Telescope, 40-m Thai National Radio Telescope advancing astrophysics; Princess Sirindhorn AstroPark raising public astronomy awareness through initiatives such as Night at Museum; NARIT is an independent signatory to International Lunar Research Station through Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL), as is International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA Hawai’i), Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) and Adriatic Aerospace Association (A3)

Credits: NARIT; Pictured: NARIT Executive Director Saran Poshyachinda (R) and DSEL Chairman of the Management Committee Guan Feng (L)
 

Thanksgiving Holiday Edition
Thurs-Mon / 23-27 Nov 2023

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A Robust International Moon Landing Schedule in First Half 2024

JAXA Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) lander, Astrobotic Peregrine and Intuitive Machines Nova-C Odysseus are slated to land on near side of Moon NET Jan 2024: SLIM is currently in low-energy transfer targeting 100-m landing site near Shioli crater (13.3°S) mid-Jan, Peregrine awaiting ULA Vulcan Centaur launch from KSC NET 24 Dec with late Jan landing near Gruithuisen Domes (36.56°N), Nova-C working toward late Nov shipping from TX to FL for NET 12 Jan launch on SpaceX F9 to 5-7 day direct transfer for mid-Jan landing near Malapert-A (80.3°S); CNSA Chang’E-6 to launch on Long March 5 NET May 2024 to Apollo crater within far side SPA Basin (43.0°S)

Picutred: SLIM Project Manager Shinichiro Sakai, Astrobotic CEO John Thornton, IM CEO Stephen Altemus, CLEP Designer Sun Jiadong; Credits: JAXA, Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines, CNSA, Linkedin

Friday / 13 Oct 2023

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China Bolstering Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry Network With 2 New Telescopes for Cislunar / Deep Space Tracking

The 5th and 6th radio telescopes of the China VLBI Network are under construction following groundbreaking at sites in Changbai Mountains (near North Korea border) 11 Oct and in Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China in September; Shigatse station to feature 40-m radio telescope operating at 4,100-m; When linked to Nanshan 25m Radio Telescope (Ürümqi), Tianma 65-m Telescope (Shanghai), Beijing 50-m antenna (Miyun) and Yunnan Astronomical Observatory 40-meter radio telescope (Kunming), network will extend to 3800 km and allow observation of multiple spacecraft with 18% increased resolution

Pictured: SHAO Director Shen Zhiqiang; Credits: SHAO, NAOC, CAS, CNSA

Tuesday / 11 July 2023

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Lunar Far Side Hot Spot May Indicate Large Presence of Granite, Raising Questions About Moon Volcanism

Thorium-containing Compton–Belkovich Volcanic Complex lies over 50-diameter area with 20x higher heat flux vs typical lunar highlands, thought to signify large granitic structure, per research led by Planetary Science Institute, drawing primarily from Chang’E-1 & 2 four-channel (3-37 GHz) radiometric datasets paired with LRO Diviner IR, Chandrayaan-1, GRAIL, and Apollo readings; If confirmed, find may alter understanding of lunar volcanism / water on Moon timeline; Study lead Matthew Siegler of SMU to present in-person at Goldschmidt Conference in Lyon, France on 12 July

Pictured: Study authors (L-R) Matthew Siegler, Jianquing Fang of PSI; Credits: NASA, GSFC, ASU, WUSTL

Tuesday / 27 June 2023

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China Advancing Robotic Lunar Exploration Program, Human Landings in 2020s, Public Outreach

10+ years of continuous operation on surface of Moon set to continue in phase 4 of Chinese Lunar Exploration Program with Queqiao-2 lunar orbital relay launching in early 2024, followed by far side sample return Chang’E-6 launching NET May 2024, landing at ~43.0°S, 154.0°W after 53-day trip; First regolith samples from far side will be analyzed under direction of Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center (LESEC); Organizational representatives of DSEL, LESEC, USTC inspire youth with Revealing Moon Mysteries, Exploring the Universe outreach program; International Lunar Research Station Cooperation Organization (ILRSCO) making progress on Moon base consortium; CMSA targeting 2020s crewed lunar mission

Pictured (L-R): Science and Technology Daily Host Gong Qian, LESEC Engineer Zhang Tianli, LESEC International Cooperation Department Project Manager Shen Yuduo, USTC Associate Professor Low Jing Xiang; Credits: CNSA, DSEL, UDN, LESEC, Science and Technology Daily 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 May 2023

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7 National and Independent / Commercial Lunar Landers Expected to Launch Within 1 Year

ISRO and Roscosmos targeting similar launch dates (NET 2nd week in July / 13 July respectively) and landing locations in Moon South Pole region (N / NE of Boguslavsky crater ~118km apart), for Chandrayaan-3 and Luna-25 landing missions, however Soyuz 2.1b will carry Luna-25 to direct TLI over a few days, whereas CY-3 will perform a series of Oberth raising maneuvers following LVM3 launch, resulting in ~1 month trip to orbital insertion; Astrobotic Peregrine, IM Nova-C, and JAXA SLIM striving for NET Q3 launch, IM-2 early 2024, Chang’E-6 NET May 2024

Credits: JAXA Lunar and Mars Exploration Logo Contest / Twitter @jsec_jaxa_jp

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 27-30 Jan 2023

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CNSA Continues Exploration and Science on the Surface of Moon as Phase 4 of Chang’E Program to Begin NET 2024

Chang’e-4 Moon Lander and Yutu-2 (‘Jade Rabbit’) rover are again busy gathering data / traversing the lunar surface following 16 and 15 Jan activation commands marking start of their 51st lunar day (equivalent to 1,479 Earth days); Yutu-2 has traveled 1,455-m; As Queqiao (‘Magpie Bridge’) replay satellite nears end of 5-year mission life in June, Queqiao-2 with 8-year lifespan being prepared for launch in early 2024, an essential communication link for farside SPA sample-return mission Chang’E-6 NET 2024, MSP CE-7 NET 2026, and CE-8 NET 2028

Pictured: Chang’E-7 Deputy Chief Designer Tang Yuhua (T), CLEP Phase 3 Deputy Chief Designer Li Chunlai (B); Credits: CNSA / CLEP, CCTV via Inside Outer Space, IAF

Tuesday / 20 Sep 2022

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Moon South Pole is Target for Increasing Number of International Robotic and Human Missions 2023-28

CLPS provider Intuitive Machines to redirect IM-1 mission NET Q1 2023 from mid-latitude to MSP at NASA request, IM-2 already slated for Shackleton Connecting Ridge (89.5°S); ISRO Chandrayaan-3 targeting 71°S NET Feb 2023; Roscosmos Luna-25 aiming for 70°S NET 2023; Astrobotic to deliver VIPER rover to 85°S NET Nov 2024; CNSA Chang’E-7 to land near (L-R) Shackleton (90°S), Nobile (85°S) or Haworth (87°S) craters NET 2026; Artemis 3 to target 1 of 13 regions within 6° of MSP via SpaceX HLS; 6.25-day Polar Sortie Mission and 33-day Polar Excursion Mission on 2nd HLS to be awarded May 2023, launch NET 2028

Credits: NASA, IM

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 22-25 April 2022

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2022 Moon Missions Preview: CAPSTONE Could Lead Way on 3 May

Launch window opening 3 May for CAPSTONE orbiter still on schedule; Artemis-1 SLS / Orion / 10 CubeSat launch now likely July-August; Intuitive Machines Nova-C cradle (built by Caldwell Group) to transport lunar lander to KSC arrives in Houston for testing / launch windows for IM-1 & IM-2 announced ‘soon’; Astrobotic Peregrine flight model to have solar panels, fuel tanks, engines installed – launch late 2022; Luna-25 ‘later this year’; Japan ispace lander end of 2022 via SpaceX, SLIM pushed to March 2023; Korea Pathfinder 1 August Launch; ISRO Somanath puts doubt on Chandrayaan-3 launch in 2022

Credits: Advanced Space / Jason Johnson, IM, Astrobotic, ispace, ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 8-11 Oct 2021

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Chang’e-5 Lunar Samples Show Late Lunar Volcanic Activity

Analysis of Moon rocks (~1,731g) collected within Oceanus Procellarum (43.06°N, 51.92°W), first returned to Earth in half century, show volcanism persisted longer than previously believed, until ~ 1.96 Gya ± 57 Ma – 1Gy older than Apollo samples indicate; Study conducted by Sensitive High Resolution Ion MicroProbe Center in conjunction with McDonnell Center for Space Sciences and Australia, UK, Sweden partners concludes “alternate explanations are required for the longevity of lunar magmatism”; co-author Brad Jolliff heralds international effort as “diplomacy by science”; Chang’e-6 to target MSP 2024

Credits: CNSA, Washington University