China's first moon rover mission, the "Jade Rabbit"

[norman]

Beijing — China's state media and people are eagerly awaiting the launch early Monday of the country's first lunar rover mission, the next step in an ambitious space programme.
The Chang'e-3 rocket carrying the "Jade Rabbit" rover to explore the moon is set to blast off at 1:30 am (1730 GMT Sunday).




http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hjnli6IhHIQIvIKngySfuJDMy75Q?docId=a9704cad-8a81-4b30-90dc-1c1456d421dc




http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/china-to-launch-first-space-probe-to-robotically-land-on-moon/articleshow/26698467.cms




http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2013/11/30/china-will-kick-off-december-by-launching-a-probe-to-the-moon/




23942

[norman]

It's on it's way.....................

23944

[watchZEITGEISTnow]

Awww the Jade Wabbit :)

http://cdn.cutestpaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/l-Dem-eyes.jpg


Question is are they gonna be legit or never give a straight answer? ;)

[norman]

Question is are they gonna be legit or never give a straight answer? ;)



Or, are there going to be nasty turf wars going on up there.

The Chinese project is going to include setting up a camera to constantly watch Earth with. That could get quite interesting if they allow us to see any of the recordings. It could also be something worth finding and hacking ( the communications between the camera and the receiving station ) to create our own recordings, like many people do with the weather satellite downstreams.

[Vitalux]

I hope China's lunar escapade goes off with more precision than their World Famous Space Walk, which they, or anyone else, do not wish to talk about. :rolleyes:

Apparently, for those that did their research ...was exposed as a hoax ( see youtube here) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U54siu8cEe0)


My own personal thoughts are, anything that we, the mushrooms, will ever know of what the surface of the Moon looks up like up close, will be similar to their space walk; fiction. :yawn:

[norman]

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/12/china-change3-rover-to-the-moon/



Chang’e-3: Chinese lunar rover heading to the Moon

December 1, 2013 by Rui C. Barbosa
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Z2B-350x139.jpg

The Chinese have begun their most ambitious lunar mission to date, following the successful launch their Long March 3B rocket carrying the Chang’e-3 probe and Yutu lunar rover. Launch was on schedule at 17:30 UTC on Sunday, taking place from the LC2 Launch Complex at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

Chinese Moon Mission:
The Chang’e-3 mission is the second phase of China’s lunar program, a program that includes orbiting, landing and sample return ambitions. It is aiming to follow the successes of the Chang’e-1 and Chang’e-2 missions in 2007 and 2010.

The Chang’e-3 mission couples a lander and the rover, advancing China’s exploration ambitions exponentially.

With a launch mass of 3,780 kg, the lander is equipped with a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to power the lunar operations during the three-month mission.

The energy will be used to power the scientific payload of seven instruments and cameras. The main instrument is the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope. This will be used to observe galaxies and other celestial objects.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Z3.jpg

The lunar rover, named Yutu, will explore the lunar surface after departing the lander.
Yutu is equipped with a solar panel to power the vehicle during the lunar day on a three month mission. During this time, Yutu will explore a three square kilometer area, travelling a maximum distance of 10 km from the landing point.

Yutu will be capable of real time video transmission, while it will be able to to dig and perform simple analysis of soil samples.

It carries a radar unit on its belly that allows for the first direct measurement of the structure and depth of the lunar soil down to a depth of 30 meters. The unit will also investigate the lunar crust structure down to depth of several hundred meters. The rover also sports an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer and an infrared spectrometer.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Z5.jpg

Upon entering lunar orbit, Chang’e-3 will go through six stages of deceleration to descend from 15 km above to the lunar surface using a variable thrust engine. During the descent the attitude of the probe will be controlled using 28 small thrusters.
Following deceleration, the vehicle will quickly adjust its attitude, approaching the lunar surface. During this phase the instruments will analyze the planned descent area. The main engine will be automatically shutdown at an altitude of four meters, allowing the rover to free fall on the surface.

Yutu (Jade Rabbit), the autonomous moon rover that will detach from the lander, will be controlled when necessary by scientists on Earth.

The rover uses six wheels that are individually powered, using a suspension system very similar to the one used on the NASA MER rovers and also on Curiosity.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Z8.jpg

Landing is expected on December 14, at a landing site called Sinus Iridium (the Bay of Rainbows), a relic of a huge crater 258 km in diameter.

China’s “Long March to the Moon” began in 1998 when the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND) began planning the lunar mission, the tackling major scientific and technological problems.

The lunar orbiter project was formally established in January 2004, with the program named “Project Chang’e”, after a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the moon.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Z9.jpg

The first mission, Chang’e-1, was successfully launched on October 24, 2007, entering in lunar orbit on November 7.

Following the transmission of the Chinese song “Ode to the Motherland” and a number of images, the probe impacted the moon on March 1, 2009.

Chang’e-2 was launched aboard a Long March 3C rocket on October 1, 2010.
Arriving October 9 on a circular orbit 100 km over the lunar surface after a 112 hour flight, six engineering objectives and the four scientific missions were completed on April 1, 2011, including surveys of the south and north poles of the moon, taking high-resolution pictures of the chosen landing site for Chang’e-3.

The extended mission saw the probe depart towards a close encounter with the asteroid Toutatis.

Launch vehicle and launch center:
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Z423.jpg (http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Z423.jpg)

Developed from the Chang Zheng-3A, the Chang Zheng-3B is the most powerful launch vehicle on the Chinese space launch fleet.

The CZ-3B features enlarged launch propellant tanks, improved computer systems, a larger 4.2 meter diameter payload fairing and the addition of four strap-on boosters in the core stage that provide additional help during the first phase of the launch.

The rocket is capable of launching a 11,200 kg satellite to a low Earth orbit or a 5,100 kg cargo to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.

The CZ-3B/E (Enhanced Version) launch vehicle was developed from the CZ-3B, increasing the GTO capacity up to 5,500kg. The CZ-3B/E has nearly the same configurations with CZ-3B bar its enlarged core stage and boosters.

On May 14, 2007, the first flight of CZ-3B/E was performed successfully, accurately sending the NigcomSat-1 into pre-determined orbit. With the GTO launch capability of 5,500kg, CZ-3B/E is dedicated for launching heavy GEO communications satellite.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Z520.jpg (http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Z520.jpg)

The Xichang Satellite Launch Centre is situated in the Sichuan Province, south-western China and is the country’s launch site for geosynchronous orbital launches.

Equipped with two launch pads (LC2 and LC3), the centre has a dedicated railway and highway lead directly to the launch site. The Command and Control Centre is located seven kilometers south-west of the launch pad, providing flight and safety control during launch rehearsal and launch. The CZ-3B launch pad is located at 28.25 deg. N – 102.02 deg. E and at an elevation of 1,825 meters.

Other facilities on the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre are the Launch Control Centre, propellant fuelling systems, communications systems for launch command, telephone and data communications for users, and support equipment for meteorological monitoring and forecasting.

The first launch from Xichang took place at 12:25UTC on January 29, 1984, when the CZ-3 Chang Zheng-3 (CZ3-1) was launched the Shiyan Weixing (14670 1984-008A) communications satellite into orbit.

[watchZEITGEISTnow]

http://www.moondaily.com/reports/Silent_Orbit_for_Chinas_Moon_Lander_999.html

[Cognitive Dissident]

The rabbit has landed.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-12/14/c_132968240.htm

Quite a historic moment actually, the first time humanity has officially been back to the Moon for a long time. I know, just a rover, but China is definitely planning manned travel, have to start with rabbits first.

[Airwooz]

80's style Lame 3D video plus several boring black and white slide show, woah......moon landing..................

By the way Chinese space expert said China already cancel manned lunar program， iam wondering what does this mean ?

[Airwooz]

The rabbit has landed.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-12/14/c_132968240.htm

Quite a historic moment actually, the first time humanity has officially been back to the Moon for a long time. I know, just a rover, but China is definitely planning manned travel, have to start with rabbits first.

I am sorry the offcial already declared to cancel the manned program, the news is on Chinese main stream websites.

[Operator]

I am sorry the offcial already declared to cancel the manned program, the news is on Chinese main stream websites.

Thanks for the news, good to have such international company here.

Did the expert also mention the motivation to cancel ?

[Airwooz]

I am sorry the offcial already declared to cancel the manned program, the news is on Chinese main stream websites.

Thanks for the news, good to have such international company here.

Did the expert also mention the motivation to cancel ?


According to the artical China are now technically lacking on manned lunar program. Such as the technique to keep astronaut alive on lunar surface and so on... The expert said China has no willing to wage a space race with other nations therefore China won't consider to take a risk to plan a manned program in the next 20 years, instead they will spend all the resources on space station and probes.

[Operator]

According to the artical China are now technically lacking on manned lunar program. Such as the technique to keep astronaut alive on lunar surface and so on... The expert said China has no willing to wage a space race with other nations therefore China won't consider to take a risk to plan a manned program in the next 20 years, instead they will spend all the resources on space station and probes.

Wow, interesting ... just similar to some of the comments some skeptics had why the Apollo program could not be real (especially in 1969).

I sometimes wonder what the situation is like IF alternative space technology does NOT exist ...

For me it is clear that physical travel with high speeds is no option at all. Micro-meteorites would hammer any space vehicle instantly.
Let alone other bigger objects you would meet and could not avoid hitting.

If there is no such thing as alternative technology then I am afraid mankind never did anything more than orbit this planet.
A sobering thought.

[Operator]

The expert said China has no willing to wage a space race with other nations therefore China won't consider to take a risk to plan a manned program in the next 20 years ...

Ok, maybe I'm nitpicking too much on words but this seems not in line with earlier statements. If the manned missions are cancelled it
means that they indeed were planning to go ... the high-lighted part above indicates there were never plans at all.

[Nanoo Nanoo]

The Jade Rabbit will be mysteriously " damaged "

N

[Airwooz]

The expert said China has no willing to wage a space race with other nations therefore China won't consider to take a risk to plan a manned program in the next 20 years ...

Ok, maybe I'm nitpicking too much on words but this seems not in line with earlier statements. If the manned missions are cancelled it
means that they indeed were planning to go ... the high-lighted part above indicates there were never plans at all.

I got confused too! but they surely has a plan before. Theoretically they will follow the sequence by launching Chang'e 4 and 5 after Chang'e 3 and eventually manned program as early as 2020-2025, they has a stages digram on their offcial website and all the media propaganda back to 2010.

The oddest thing is that when the rover land in the moon, they suddenly change the word......now they called off the developing of Chang'e 5(http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2013-12/16/c_132971062.htm) and the subsequently manned program.

Most people here don't care about the news, they will swallow whatever the government told them to, but as a conspiracist this is just strange to me!

It gives me this impression that either they have encountered some real problems, Van allen belt maybe ? Or they could been warned by the little green men:twitch:




Also see this

The first spacecraft of the program, the unmanned lunar orbiter Chang'e 1, was successfully launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center on October 24, 2007,[3] having been delayed from the initial planned date of 17–19 April 2007.[4] A second unmanned orbiter, Chang'e 2, was launched successfully on October 1, 2010.[5][6] Chang'e 3, with China's first lunar rover, (Yutu or Jade Rabbit) was launched successfully on December 1, 2013 at 17:30 UTC. It will be followed by a sample return mission scheduled for 2017 with Chang'e 5.[7] A manned expedition may occur in 2025-2030.[8]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Lunar_Exploration_Program