Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
China's Chang'e-3 lunar rover set for Dec. 1st launch
I think the last lunar rover was in 1973.
http://spaceports.blogspot.com/2013/09/chinas-change-3-lunar-probe-set-for-dec.html
China's Chang'e-3 lunar probe set for Dec. 1st
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Multiple "secret weapons" will be used on China's Chang'e-3 lunar probe, scheduled to launch in early December of this year aboard a Long March 3B rocket for a moon landing mission, a key scientist said at the First Beijing International Forum on Lunar and Deep-space Exploration held on Sept. 3-6, 2013.
The Chinese orbiter soft-land on a celestial body for the first time carrying a Chang'e-3 moon rover will roam the moon's surface to patrol and explore the satellite. Radar will be attached to the bottom of the rover to explore 100 to 200 meters beneath the moon's surface, which is unprecedented.
In addition to several cameras, Chang'e-3 will carry a near-ultraviolet astronomical telescope to observe stars, the galaxy and the universe from the moon, said Ouyang Ziyuan, a senior advisor to China's lunar program, as reported by Xinhua. The telescope will observe the universe "farther and clearer" and will possibly bring new discoveries since there will be no disturbance from the aerosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere on the moon, offering views free from interference from human activity, pollution and the magnetic field.
<snip>
China's Chang'e-3 lunar probe set for Dec. 1st
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Artist depiction of China's Chang'e-3 lunar probe and rover
Multiple "secret weapons" will be used on China's Chang'e-3 lunar probe, scheduled to launch in early December of this year aboard a Long March 3B rocket for a moon landing mission, a key scientist said at the First Beijing International Forum on Lunar and Deep-space Exploration held on Sept. 3-6, 2013.
The Chinese orbiter soft-land on a celestial body for the first time carrying a Chang'e-3 moon rover will roam the moon's surface to patrol and explore the satellite. Radar will be attached to the bottom of the rover to explore 100 to 200 meters beneath the moon's surface, which is unprecedented.
In addition to several cameras, Chang'e-3 will carry a near-ultraviolet astronomical telescope to observe stars, the galaxy and the universe from the moon, said Ouyang Ziyuan, a senior advisor to China's lunar program, as reported by Xinhua. The telescope will observe the universe "farther and clearer" and will possibly bring new discoveries since there will be no disturbance from the aerosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere on the moon, offering views free from interference from human activity, pollution and the magnetic field.
<snip>