Category Archives: China

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

New Year 2019 Edition
Fri-Thur / 21 Dec 2018 – 3 Jan 2019

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2019 Could Be Historic Year For Lunar Landings

21-27 December Is 50th Observation Of Apollo 8 Mission; China Chang’e-4 Attempts Historic First Landing On Far Half Of Moon Targeting 187 Km Von Kármán Crater In South Pole-Aitken Basin; Lunar Dawn At Crater Illuminates Optimal Landing Date Of 3 Jan, Providing 2 Earth-Weeks Of Uninterrupted Light And Solar Power; Queqiao Orbiter Provides Radio Relay To Far Half Of Moon And Carries Netherlands-China NCLE Experiment; Chang’e-3 Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) Is Still Operational On Surface, Powering Down To Avoid Radio Interference With Chang’e-4; 2019 Will See 50th Observation Of Apollo 9-12

Credits: NASA, CNSA

Friday / 14 Dec 2018

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Chang’e-3 Enters 6th Year Of Operations, ‘Twin’ Chang’e-4 In Lunar Orbit To Land Far Side Early Jan 2019

China Chang’e-3, In Lunar Day 62, Begins 6th Year Of Operations 14 December At Sinus Iridum / Mare Imbrium, 44.12°N, 19.51°W; LUT Instrument Reportedly Working, Powered By RTG And Solar Panels; Chang’e-4 Lander And Rover In Elliptical Lunar Orbit With Perilune At ~100 km, Will Have Queqiao Relay Satellite Communications Link Tested Before Landing In Very Early January 2019 At Von Kármán Crater / South Pole-Aitken Basin About 46°S, 177°E; Lander Carries Low Frequency Spectrometer And Lunar Lander Neutrons & Dosimetry Experiment, Queqiao Equipped With NCLE Low-Frequency Pathfinder To Detect Cosmic Dark Ages Radio Signals

Pictured: CNSA Administrator Zhang Kejian; Credits: CNSA, CAS, NAOC, CAST, NASA, GSFC, DLR, ASU, LRO

Friday / 7 Dec 2018

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International Lunar Missions Featured At Galaxy Forum China 2018: Beijing On Eve Of CE-4 Launch

As China Counts Down To Chang’e-4 Launch On 8 December At 02:15 Local Time To Lunar Farside, Galaxy Forum Meets At NAOC In Beijing 7 Dec; Themes Are International Human Moon Missions And Astronomy From The Moon; Opening Address Given By Yang Liwei (L) First China Astronaut; Europe Perspective Delivered By Christian Feichtinger Of International Astronautical Federation, Followed By Dong Nengli Of China Manned Space Agency; International Lunar Observatory Association Presents Plans For Telescope And First Women On Moon; Participants Describe Thailand Astronomy, India LUCI Telescope, South Korea Astronomy And First Lunar Mission

Credits: CNSA, ILOA, China News Service, NAOC

Tuesday / 27 Nov 2018

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Chang’e-4 Science Teams And Chandrayaan-2 Testing Over Analog Site

China Establishes Science Teams For Chang’e-4 Lunar Mission; Four Research Groups Devoted To Data Processing, Geological Background, Lunar Surface Morphology, And Low-Frequency Radio Environment; Launch Of Chang’e-4 Planned For 8 December, To Land In Von Karman Crater At 47° South Latitude On Lunar Farside 30-31 Dec; India Chandrayaan-2 Launch Moved To 31 Jan, Planned As First Landing In South Polar Region At 70° South Latitude; Chandrayaan-2 Sensors Being Tested In Aircraft Flying Over Analog Site: “Science City” Of Challakere In Karnataka State Hosts ISRO Research Center

Credits: CNSA, ISRO

Thanksgiving Weekend Edition
Thu-Mon / 22-26 Nov 2018

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Upcoming Lunar Launches And Landings From Multiple Nations

8 December China Plans Launch of Chang’e-4, First Mission To Lunar Farside; Lander And Rover To Explore South Pole Aitken Basin; Landing Targeted For 30-31 Dec In 186 Km-Wide Von Karman Crater At 44.8° South Latitude; India Plans Launch 30 Jan Of Chandrayaan-2, First Mission To South Pole Region; 3,877 Kg Spacecraft On GSLV Mark 3 Launcher Composed Of Orbiter, Lander And Rover; Chandrayaan-2 Landing Site At 70° South Latitude; Israel SpaceIL Plans Lunar Launch On SpaceX Falcon 9 In Early 2019, Landing NET 13 Feb

Credits: CNSA, NASA, ISRO

Friday / 16 Nov 2018

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China And India Prepare For Lunar South Pole

Two Most Populous Earth Nations Aiming For Moon; China Chang’e 4 Prepares For Launch From Xichang Satellite Launch Centre 8 December And Landing 30-31 Dec; First Ever To Land On Lunar Farside; India Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark 3 Successfully Launches GSAT-29 To Orbit, GSLV Mk 3 Will Launch Next Moon Mission; Chandrayaan 2 Has Launch Window From 3 Jan To 16 Feb; 3.8 Ton Spacecraft Consists Of Orbiter, Lander And Rover; Will Be First To Land Near South Pole

Credits: China News, ISRO

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 26-29 Oct 2018

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Space Academic Conference In China Announces Lunar Crew Spacecraft

Biennial 5th Manned Space (International) Academic Conference Opens In Xi’an; Senior Designer Yang Lei Announces New Spacecraft For Lunar Missions; Will Have Command And Service Modules Plus Crew Of 4-6; Equivalent Capability To USA Orion; Uncrewed Model To Be Launched On First Flight Of Long March 5B Booster Scheduled For June 2019;  Conference Invites International Participation From France, Germany And Ukraine; Taikonauts Yang Liwei, Wang Yaping, And Germany Astronaut Ulrich Walter Featured

Credits: Xinhua, CASC, Space Inventor

 

Weekend Edition
Fri-Mon / 19-22 Oct 2018

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International Efforts Aiming For Village On Moon

European Space Agency, Major Advocate Of International Moon Village, Planning 1000 Square-Meter Luna Facility At ESA Astronaut Centre In Cologne, Germany; Regolith Simulant EAC-1 Will Be Used For Experiments To Construct Habitats;  China “Lunar Palace” Yuegong-1 Simulates Moonbase On 370-Day Mission; 500 Cubic-Meter Habitat Contains Integrated Living / Work Module And Two Plant Cultivation Modules; Experimental Crops Including Corn And Peanuts Grown In Closed Environment; International MoonBase Alliance Aims To Build Lunar Analog On Island Of Hawai’i

Credits: Beihang University, ESA