AsianScientist (Sep. 3, 2013) – China’s next moon mission, Chang’e-3, is scheduled to be launched by the end of 2013. The mission will see a Chinese space probe land on a celestial body for the first time.
“Chang’e-3 has officially entered its launch stage, following its research and manufacture period,” the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense announced on Wednesday.
The launch will take place from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, said Ye Peijian, chief scientist of deep space exploration at the China Academy of Space Technology, in a 2012 interview. According to Ye, since the probe will make a soft landing on the moon’s surface, the use of parachutes has been ruled out due to the moon’s vacuum. Instead, it will employ an anti-thrust mechanism to reduce the speed of the engine.
“The Chang’e-3 mission makes best use of a plethora of innovative technology. It is an extremely difficult mission, that carries great risk,” said Ma Xingrui, head of China’s space exploration body and chief commander of the lunar program, as reported by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
Five landing sites have been shortlisted for the lunar exploration orbiter to make a soft-landing. The rover has a payload capacity of 20 kg, and will be equipped with eight instruments including a panoramic camera and a lunar exploration radar. During its three-month mission life, it will transmit video in real time and analyze soil samples.
China launched Chang’e-1 in 2007 and Chang’e-2 in 2010. The first retrieved lunar data and carried out an initial mapping of the surface, while the second created a full high-resolution map of the moon.
After Chang’e-3, Chang’e-4 will be launched. Together, they will complete the task of landing on the moon in the second phase of China’s lunar exploration program. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, Chang’e-5 will be launched in 2017 and will send back samples of moon rock to earth for analysis from a depth of two meters.
A 2012 white paper relating to the Chinese space program stated that the final aim of the lunar exploration program was a possible human landing on the moon sometime after 2020.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine.
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