China's Moon Mission has got some exciting Results

A Far Side Moon Mission :

China has sent two robots to the moon! The term ‘Over the moon’ has a new meaning now because no human has ever been to the far side. Despite several pop culture references, it isn’t actually dark. And we know that because the rovers are now sending us images.

What is Far Side Of The Moon?

For the uninitiated, we only see one side of the moon from earth which is called the near side. This is because the moon takes roughly the same time to orbit the Earth as it takes to spin around it’s axis.

It is the first time that a rocket of any Sapce Agency has landed on the far side as well. However, it isn’t the first time that the far side has been photographed. Luna 3, a Soviet spacecraft did photograph the far side of the Moon in 1959.  Sometimes the far side is referred to as the dark side because we know very little about that area, hence the term ‘dark’. The problem with sending machines to the dark side is that it is so far away that it becomes extremely difficult to communicate with the robots. 

China has overcome this problem by sending a anathor satellite named Queqiao, which communicates with the rover and relays information to and from the rover back to earth. China has sent a rover along with a lander as part of Chang’e-4 mission. 

The robotic lander and rover is called Yutu-2. The rover and lander was launched 7 December 2018 and entered orbit around the Moon on 12 December 2018. It landed at 10:26AM Thursday, Beijing time. 

Mission Objectives

Craters and Desert like surface is seen in the photos that had been send by the Rover. The mission of the rover and lander, apart from documenting the area, also involves scientific research as well.  It will be studying the Geophysics of the landing zone, researching solar bursts, gather radiation dosimetry for future human exploration of the Moon among other important things. However, the most important payload it carries is a 3 kg sealed “biosphere” with seeds and insect eggs to test whether plants and insects could hatch and grow. If successful, this might mean that there is a bright future for survival of  human civilization on the barren satellite. 

Future plans

Meanwhile, a senior Chinese space expert reported that China plans to deepen its lunar exploration plans, including establishing a scientific research station in the south polar region of the moon.

Wu Weiren, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, told China's state-run Xinhua news service that the country's current lunar program includes three phases: orbiting, landing and returning.

The first two phases have been accomplished, and the next step is to launch the Chang'e 5 probe to collect roughly 4 lbs. (2 kilograms) of lunar samples and bring them back to Earth, Wu said.

80 foot crater in front of Rover

Research station

Some places at the south pole of the moon receive sunlight for over 180 consecutive days. And the floors of some polar craters are never exposed to sunlight and might hold frozen water, scientists say.

"We hope to build a scientific research station in the south polar region of the moon. It would be operated automatically and visited by people for short periods," Wu said.

According to Xinhua, a heavy-lift carrier rocket, with a takeoff weight of about 4,400 tons (4,000 metric tons) and a diameter of 33 feet (10 m), is a goal for 2030. It would help realize the aim of bringing Mars samples back to Earth and sending Chinese astronauts to the moon.