Reefa Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 The Jade Rabbit, seen in this artist's impression, will be the first wheeled vehicle on the Moon since the 1970s .China is set to land a robotic rover on the surface of the Moon, a major step in the Asian superpower's ambitious programme of space exploration.On Saturday afternoon (GMT), a landing module will undergo a powered descent, using thrusters to perform the first soft landing on the Moon in 37 years.Several hours later, the lander will deploy a robotic rover called Yutu, which translates as "Jade Rabbit".The touchdown will take place on a flat plain called the Bay of RainbowsThe Chang'e-3 mission launched on a Chinese-developed Long March 3B rocket on 1 December from Xichang in the country's south."On the evening of December 14, Chang'e-3 will carry out a soft landing on the lunar surface," said a post on the mission's official blog on Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.The task was described as the mission's "most difficult" in the post, written by the Chinese Academy of Sciences on behalf of the space authorities.It is the third robotic rover mission to land on the lunar surface, but the Chinese vehicle carries a more sophisticated payload, including ground-penetrating radar which will gather measurements of the lunar soil and crust.The 120kg (260lb) Jade Rabbit rover can reportedly climb slopes of up to 30 degrees and travel at 200m (660ft) per hour.Its name - chosen in an online poll of 3.4 million voters - derives from an ancient Chinese myth about a rabbit living on the moon as the pet of the lunar goddess Chang'e.According to translated documents, the landing module will begin actively reducing its speed at about 15km from the Moon's surface.When it reaches a distance of 100m from the surface, the craft will fire thrusters to slow its descent.At a distance of 4m, the lander switches off the thrusters and free-falls to the lunar surface.The Jade Rabbit is expected to be deployed on Saturday evening, driving down a ramp lowered by the Chang'e-3 landing module.Reports suggest the lander and rover will photograph each other at some point on Sunday.According to Chinese space scientists, the mission is designed to test new technologies, gather scientific data and build intellectual expertise.Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank in Washington DC, said China's space programme was a good fit with China's concept of "comprehensive national power". This might be described as a measure of a state's all-round capabilities.Dean Cheng, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank in Washington DC, said China's space programme was a good fit with China's concept of "comprehensive national power". This might be described as a measure of a state's all-round capabilities.He added: "It reflects your scientific and technological capabilities, it supports your diplomacy by making you appear strong."China is saying: 'We are doing something that only two other countries have done before - the US and the Soviet Union."Mr Cheng explained that the mission would provide an opportunity to test China's deep-space tracking and communications capability."The rover will reportedly be under Earth control at various points of its manoeuvres on the lunar surface," Mr Cheng wrote in a blog post."Such a space observation and tracking system has implications not only for space exploration but for national security, as it can be used to maintain space surveillance, keeping watch over Chinese and other nations' space assets.""Such a space observation and tracking system has implications not only for space exploration but for national security, as it can be used to maintain space surveillance, keeping watch over Chinese and other nations' space assets."China has been methodically and patiently building up the key elements needed for an advanced space programme - from launchers to manned missions in Earth orbit to unmanned planetary craft - and it is investing heavily.The lander's target is Sinus Iridum (Latin for Bay of Rainbows) a flat volcanic plain thought to be relatively clear of large rocks. It is part of a larger feature known as Mare Imbrium that forms the right eye of the "Man in the Moon".After this, a mission to bring samples of lunar soil back to Earth is planned for 2017. And this may set the stage for further robotic missions, and - perhaps - a crewed lunar mission in the 2020s."[Chang'e-3] is probably laying some of the groundwork for a manned mission," said Mr Cheng.Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25356603 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janedoe Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 "China has been... investing heavily" - Naturally, since they are flush with funds whereas poor NASA can't even fund the development of the BioSuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dMog Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 could end up being another my country is better because "we have more stuff on the moon" race about to happen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janedoe Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 (edited) I don't think either America or Russia are interested or even in a position to pursue this right now. Who else is interested and can compete? Edited December 14, 2013 by janedoe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davmil Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Who cares? Been there, done that. I'd rather my money fixed bridges, potholes and advanced health care here on Earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turk Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I am sure China/Chinese people would like it to be called "Yutu" as it was named so already :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shasi Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 ok land it we can see what the hell it will do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spankylishus Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 china says they landed safely on moon next is roll out rover and then lander and rover take pics of each other Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janedoe Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Space age technology eventually filters down so everyone benefits. We can't totally cut off funding for such endeavors as if there are no returns from them at all. Scientific research into space and new frontiers of Physics and other fields using the LHC and so on is not a black hole. Mundane things on Earth have to be attended to of course, but for those who don't care (or worse, vote to cut of all funding) all I'll say is that only fixing potholes for the rest of time does absolutely nothing to help us advance as a species. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dMog Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 ok land it we can see what the hell it will dodoes not matter what it does...it has already told the USA that China is going into space at time when America is forced to not be able to go to space because they cannot afford to do so and to not sound like our resident conspiracy expert space will be even more militarized now with China on the radar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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