Category Archives: China

Friday / 22 Feb 2019

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2019 Could See 4 International Moon Landers, Most Attempts Since 1970s

SpaceIL Beresheet “Genesis” May Become First Privately-Funded Lander To Reach Moon Surface ~11 Apr Depending On Falcon 9 Launch Set 21 Feb 20:45 ET; India Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, Lander, Rover Launch On GSLV Mk 2 Scheduled Last Week Of March For 14-Day Journey To Manzinus / Simpelius Craters; Chang’e-4 Lander / Rover Operating On Far Side Since 3 Jan, And China Could Send Chang’e-5 Sample Return By End Of 2019 If Long March 5 Launch ~July Succeeds

Credits: SpaceIL, ISRO, CNSA, CLEP, NAOC, CAS, CCTV

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 15-18 Feb 2019

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USA And Partners Hope For 2019 Lunar Landing, Will Announce New Payloads And Commercial Contracts

Next Week NASA Will Announce 12 Science Payloads, Already Developed, For Commercial Lunar Service Providers; Commercial Partners Have 25 Mar Due Date To Submit Proposals For Transfer, Descent, And Ascent Vehicles Of Human Lunar Landing System With Selection In May; Award Of Up To US $9M In Contracts Expected By July Observation Of Apollo 11; Thomas Zurbuchen Of Science Directorate Hopes For USA Lunar Landing In 2019, Potentially Joining China Spacecraft Active On Surface 

Credits: NASA

Friday / 8 Feb 2019

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CNSA-NASA First Lunar Collaboration Could Initiate Future Breakthroughs

USA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) In Eccentric Polar Mapping Orbit (20-km Altitude South Pole, 165-km North Pole) Since 2015, Captures Image Of China Chang’e-4 On Moon Far Side In Von Kármán Crater On 30 Jan 2019; Information Sharing Between The 2 Countries Amidst Restrictions Highlights Potential To Expand Upon Mutually Beneficial Cooperation, Combine 21st Century Technologies Of Leading Spacefaring Nations – Both Of Which Plan Human Moon Missions, Lunar Bases

Pictured: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and CNSA Administrator Zhang Kejian 

Credits: NASA, GSFC, Arizona State University, CNSA, NAOC-CSA

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 1-4 Feb 2019

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Three More International Lunar Landings Preparing In 2019

Israel “Beresheet,” First Privately Built Lunar Lander To Reach Launch Site, Prepares At SpaceX Processing Facility In Cape Canaveral For Launch NET 18 February On 8-Week Voyage To Mare Serenitatis; NASA Contributes Laser Retroreflector Array And Use Of Deep Space Network For Beresheet; India Chandrayaan-2 (L) Set For Launch By End Of Apr; First Mission To Moon South Polar Region Consists Of 2380-kg Orbiter, 1470-kg Lander And 27-kg Rover; While Zhongguo Chang’e-3 And Chang’e-4 Are Operating, Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return (R) Scheduled For Late 2019, Depending On Launch Success Of Long March 5 In July

Credits: ISRO, SpaceIL, NAOC, CNSA

Tuesday / 29 Jan 2019

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Chang’e-4 Planned For Lunar Dawn Of Operations

Following Local Lunar Sunrise Chang’e-4 Is Expected To Resume Full Operation 29 January;  Critical Chang’e-4 Camera Pointing System Designed By Yung Kai-Leung (L) Of Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Wu Bo (R) Of University Geo-Informatics Dept Helps Select Landing Site In Von Karman Crater; NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Will Image Chang’e-4 Landing Site On 31 Jan; As Lunar New Year Approaches On 5 Feb, CNSA Has Two Successful Satellite Launches So Far In 2019; Long March 5 Booster Expected To Launch In Spring 2019 And Carry Chang’e-5 By December

Credits: CNSA, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Tuesday / 22 Jan 2019

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USA / PRC Moon Collaboration To Be Discussed At UN Vienna Mid-Feb

NASA Headed By Jim Bridenstine (L), Will Work With China On Lunar Landing Research Following Discussions With CNSA, Headed By Zhang Kejian (R); NASA Scientists Are Exchanging Data With Chang’e-4 Science Team; Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Expected To Image Chang’e-4 Landing Site On 31 January; Lunar Data Will Be Shared With Global Research Community At Scientific And Technology Subcommittee Of UN Committee On Peaceful Uses Of Outer Space In Vienna 11-22 Feb; NASA Cooperation With CNSA To Be Transparent, Reciprocal And Mutually Beneficial

Credits: NASA, CNSA

Tuesday / 15 Jan 2019

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China Announces Exploration Program With Chang’e-6, 7 And 8

While Chang’e-4 (L) Will Measure Temperatures During The 14-Day Lunar Night, China CNSA Officially Announces More Moon Missions; Long March 5 Booster (R) Will Return To Flight NET 31 March With Launch Of Shijian-20 Communications Platform From Wenchang Satellite Launch Center On Hainan Island; Chang’e-5 Sample Return Launch On Long March 5 From Wenchang Is Planned Before End Of 2019; Chang’e-6 Is Slated To Return Samples From Lunar South Pole; Chang’e-7 Will Tentatively Conduct Survey Of South Polar Region; Chang’e-8 Will Test Technologies For Lunar Base And Future Human Activities On Moon

Credits: CNSA

Friday / 11 Jan 2019

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Chang’e-4 International Science Operations Continue, Lander And Rover Prepare For First Lunar Night

China Chang’e-4 Moon Far Side Mission Comprised Of Lander, Yutu-2 Rover, Queqiao Relay Satellite And Longjiang-2 Microsatellite Operating Nominally With Confirmation Of International Payloads Functioning Including Germany Neutron Radiation Detector (LDN) On Lander, Sweden Neutral Atom Detector (ASAN) On Rover, Saudi Arabia Camera Aboard Longjiang-2; Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE) On Queqiao To Begin Collecting Data In ~March After Primary CE-4 Mission Objectives Complete; First Lunar Night Begins 12 Jan, Rover To Lie Dormant While Limited Science Performed By Lander 

Credits: CNSA, CAS, NAOC, CCTV, Harbin Institute of Technology, ASTRON, Radboud Univ., Kiel University, Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), Xinhua, KACST

Tuesday / 8 Jan 2019

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Space Cooperation Advocated For Benefit Of Mankind And Womankind

As Chang’e-4 And Yutu-2 Rover Explore Von Karman Crater On Far Side Of Moon, China Daily Editorial Describes “Exploring Outer Space For Benefit Of Mankind” And For Peaceful Purposes; Editor of NASA Watch Suggests Rules On Cooperation Can Be Softened; USA Offers To Aid China With Data From Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; NASA Lunar Scientists Have Independently Pinpointed Chang’e-4 At 45.47084° S By 177.60563° E; Russia Provides Radioisotopes For Chang’e-4 Power Source; Sweden, Germany And Netherlands Also Contribute To Mission; China Invites International Partners For Upcoming Space Station

Credits: CNSA,NASA, Arizona State University

Friday / 4 Jan 2019

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2019 Begins With First-Ever Landing On Lunar Far Side

50th Observation Of Year Of Apollo Lunar Landings Begins With New Horizons Flyby Of Ultima Thule And China Chang’e-4 Landing On Far Side Of Moon; 1200 Kg Lander Touches Down At Von Karman Carter Within South Pole-Aitken Basin; Landing On Lunar Far Side Is Long-Term Goal Advocated By Apollo 17 Astronaut Harrison Schmitt; India Chandrayaan-2 Aims For Early Feb 2019 Launch To South Polar Region; Israel SpaceIL Aims For NET 13 Feb Lunar Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9; Chang’e-5 Scheduled For Dec 2019 Subject To Availability Of Long March 5 Booster

Credits: CNSA, China Daily, ISRO