A Chinese lunar rover landed on the far side of the moon
on Thursday, in a global first that boosts Beijing’s ambitions to
become a space superpower.
lunar probe mission – named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology
– launched last December from the southwestern Xichang launch centre
The Chang’e-4 probe touched down and
sent a photo of the so-called “dark side” of the moon to the Queqiao
satellite, which will relay communications to controllers on Earth,
state broadcaster CCTV said.
Beijing is pouring billions into its
military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space
station by 2022, and of eventually sending humans to the moon.
The
Chang’e-4 lunar probe mission — named after the moon goddess in
Chinese mythology — launched in December from the southwestern Xichang
launch centre.
It is the second Chinese probe to land on the moon, following the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover mission in 2013.
Unlike the near side of the moon that offers many flat areas to touch down on, the far side is mountainous and rugged.
The moon is “tidally locked” to Earth in its rotation so the same side is always facing Earth.
Chang’e-4 is carrying six experiments from
China and four from abroad, including low-frequency radio astronomical
studies — aiming to take advantage of the lack of interference on the
far side.
The rover will also conduct mineral and
radiation tests, the China National Space Administration has said,
according to state news agency Xinhua.
Extreme challenges
It was not until 1959 that the Soviet Union captured the first images of the moon’s mysterious and heavily cratered “dark side”.
No lander or rover has ever previously touched
the surface there, and it is no easy technological feat — China has
been preparing for this moment for years.
A major challenge for such a mission was
communicating with the robotic lander: as there is no direct “line of
sight” for signals to the far side of the moon.
As a solution, China in May blasted the
Queqiao (“Magpie Bridge”) satellite into the moon’s orbit, positioning
it so that it can relay data and commands between the lander and Earth.
In another extreme hurdle, during the lunar
night — which lasts 14 Earth days — temperatures drop to as low as
minus 173 degrees Celsius (minus 279 Fahrenheit).
During the lunar day, also lasting 14 Earth days, temperatures soar as high as 127 C (261 F).
The rover’s instruments have to withstand
those fluctuations and it has to generate enough energy to sustain it
during the long night.
Adding to the difficulties, Chang’e-4 was sent
to the Aitken Basin in the lunar south pole region — known for its
craggy and complex terrain — state media has said.
Yutu also conquered those challenges and,
after initial setbacks, ultimately surveyed the moon’s surface for 31
months. Its success provided a major boost to China’s space programme.
Beijing is planning to send another lunar lander, Chang’e-5, next year to collect samples and bring them back to Earth.
It is among a slew of ambitious Chinese
targets, which include a reusable launcher by 2021, a super-powerful
rocket capable of delivering payloads heavier than those NASA and
private rocket firm SpaceX can handle, a moon base, a permanently crewed
space station, and a Mars rover.