Category Archives: China

Wednesday / 13 August 2014

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Shuttle Astronauts Advocate For Human Moon Missions

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Moon Is Ideal Location To Train & Develop Equipment / Procedures For Mars / Deep Space Missions Says Former Shuttle Astronauts Frank Culbertson (C) & Daniel Brandenstein (R); Astronaut Robert Crippen (CR) Says More Focus On International Cooperation Needed, Especially With China Moon Program; Acknowledged NASA Current Trend Of Risk Aversion, Urged Support For Orion Development: “This Is Our System To Get To The Moon”; Remarks Were Made During AIAA Space 2014 Forum In San Diego CA

Image Credit: AIAA, NASA, ESA

Thursday / 7 August 2014

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China Lunar Program May Develop Lunar Mining Potential

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Sole Country Operating On Lunar Surface May Be Eyeing Lucrative Moon Mining Operation; Chief Scientist Of China Lunar Exploration Program Ziyuan Ouyang Notes Lunar Helium-3 Could ‘Solve Humanity’s Energy Demand For Around 10,000 Years At Least’; He-3 Estimated At 13 Parts Per Billion By Weight In Lunar Regolith, Or ~1,100,000 Tonnes Total; Estimates On Potential Economic Value Of The He-3 Gas Is US$3B / Tonne, Estimated Cost For Fusion Development & Starting Lunar Operations ~US$20B Over 2 Decades; China Has Expressed Interest, Has Not Outlined Concrete Plans To Mine Moon For He-3

Image Credit: Moon Society, cyberphysics.com

Friday / 1 August 2014

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Potential Landing Sites & Tests For
China Chang’e-4 Mission

Chang'e-4

China Lunar Exploration Program Chief Scientist Prof Ziyuan Ouyang Previews Possible Challenging & Pioneering Objectives For Chang’e-4 Moon Lander / Rover Mission: Could Land At Moon South Pole Region And / Or Mountain Top Peak Of Eternal Light Offering ~90% Illumination Year Round, Stable ~213K (-60°C) Temperatures, Plethora Of Science Benefits; Could Also Launch From Moon Surface To Different Moon Region – Or Directly To Mars, Reminiscent Of Chang’e-2 Orbiter Exploring L2, Asteroid 4179 Toutatis & Deep Space After Moon Mission

Image Credit: NASA, news.cn, CNSA

Wednesday / 30 July 2014

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China Chang’e-5 On Schedule For 2017

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Development Of Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return Mission “Progressing Smoothly” Says China State Administration Of Science & Technology Industry Spokesperson Zhijian Wu (L); Mission Will Be 1st Of China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) Phase 3 (Return) Missions; Probe Will Collect Regolith From Lunar Surface & Scoop Samples From Depth Of 2m, Launch And Rendezvous With Orbiter For Earth Return; Plans For Chang’e-4 Still To Be Confirmed, South Pole Landing Possible Says Ziyuan Ouyang; CLEP Educational Exhibit Opens National Tour At Hong Kong Science Museum, Features ~20 Replicas, Models & Interactive Exhibits

Image Credit: CLEP, Hong Kong Science Museum

Wednesday / 9 July 2014

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Buzz Aldrin Outlines Goals / Benefits Of Human Spaceflight

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Just Weeks Before World Observes 45th Anniversary Of First Human Moon Landing, 2nd Man On Moon Buzz Aldrin Steps Up Advocacy Of Human Space Travel; Proposes 4 Goals: Stronger USA-China Space Relations, Lunar Exploration, Asteroid / Mars Exploration, Settling Mars; Says 45th Observance Is Just 5-Year Lead Up To 50th Which Many Plan To Make Into A Big Event, Reflecting On All The Benefits That Come From Lunar Exploration & Human Space Travel

Image Credit: NASA

Tuesday / 8 July 2014

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China Moon Plans Hint At Human Circumlunar Mission

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Speculation Arising That China Human Lunar Mission Plans More Ambitious Than Previously Known; Morris Jones Notes That Low-Key Discussions About Mission, Lack Of Mission Name, Participation Of A Separate Branch Of Space Program (Presumably Astronaut Program) Indicate Possibility Of Ulterior Mission Motive; Most Glaring Evidence Is Photo Showing Return Probe Is Scaled Copy Of Bell-Shaped Shenzhou Descent Module; Late 2014 Mission Has Been Announced As Precursor To Chang’e-5 Sample Return, Both Crafts Will Reenter Earth Atmosphere At ~40,230km/hr

Image Credit: CNSA, CASC

Thursday / 26 June 2014

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China Preparing Final Steps Of Uncrewed Lunar Exploration Phase, Eyeing Human Missions

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China Lunar Exploration Program Senior Adviser Ouyang Ziyuan Says Simulation Lunar Return Satellite Will Be Launched Later This Year In Preparation For Moon Sample Return Chang’e-5 Mission Which Is Scheduled To Launch In 2017 Via Long March 5 Rocket From New Hainan Launch Center, Return Up To 10kg Of Lunar Samples; Exploration Program Will Then Shift To Human Moon Missions, & Possible Building Of Lunar Base; China Then Intends To Conduct Systematic Exploration Of Solar System 

Image Credit: CNSA

Friday / 20 June 2014

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Smooth Sailing For China Lunar Program,
Next Moon Missions

Chang'e-5, CLEP

Chang’e-5 Flight Test Module Launching To Moon Later This Year To Verify Return & Re-Entry Technology, Successfully Passes Thermal Vacuum Test, Further Tests Upcoming; According To Lunar Program Chief Designer Weiren Wu Presenting At ISCOPS Conference In May, Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Being Reconfigured For Advanced Science, Expected To Launch 2015-2017; Chang’e-5 Sample Return Able To Carry 2kg Of Rocks & Regolith Launching Late 2017

Image Credit: ILOA, spacechina.com, CNSA, NASA

Tuesday / 17 June 2014

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China Moon Program & Implications Of Lunar Helium-3

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Growing Demand For Energy, Leading-Edge Moon Exploration Program Lead Some To Believe China Seeking To Advance Helium-3 Nuclear Fusion Technology; Estimated 1.1M Tonnes Of Helium-3 On Lunar Surface, 1 Tonne Of Helium-3 Could Produce Equivalent Of 50M Barrels Of Crude Oil, Virtually No Waste, Negligible Radiation; International Cooperation / Participation In Moon Development May Determine Whether China Moon Activities Lead To Helium-3 Monopoly / Energy Supremacy, Or Equitable Sharing For Benefit Of All Humanity

Image Credit: CNSA, weeklysciencequiz.blogspot.com, greenoptimistic.com

Wednesday / 11 June 2014

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Russia Moon Ambitions: New Rocket, Cooperation With China

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Federal Space Agency Chief Oleg Ostapenko Says Russia Intends To Develop Super-Heavy Booster Capable Of Lifting 80-85 Tonnes To LEO To Support Aspirations For Human Moon Missions In 2020s, Current Soyuz Launch Vehicle Can Only Launch 7 Tonnes To LEO; Russia In Talks With China About Stepping Up Space Collaborations Including Orbital Space Station, Moonbase; Talks Come As Russia Pulls Away From Space Cooperation With USA & EU In Response To Sanctions

Image Credit: Moon Base Alpha, Russian Federation Ministry Of Defense