Misplaced Pages

#965034

58-583: On 3 January 2019, the Chang'e 4 , a Chinese spacecraft, landed in the basin, specifically within a crater called Von Kármán . In May 2019, scientists announced that a large mass of material had been identified deep within the crater. Chang'e 6 aims to collect sample from this crater, specifically within the Apollo basin . The existence of a giant far side basin was suspected as early as 1962 based on early Soviet probe images (namely Luna 3 and Zond 3 ), but it

116-684: A 12-hour orbit around the Moon at 02:12 UTC, on 8 May 2024. The lander/ascender/rover separated from the orbiter/returner on 30 May 2024, in preparation for landing. At 22:06 UTC, on 1 June 2024, the Chang'e 6 lander/ascender, with the support of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite, descended from its 200 kilometer (124 miles) orbit altitude. It used its autonomous obstacle avoidance system, visible light camera, and laser 3D scanner to detect and avoid lunar obstacles and uneven terrain. At 22:23 UTC, it landed in

174-409: A Chinese rover called Jinchan to conduct infrared spectroscopy of lunar surface and imaged Chang'e 6 lander on lunar surface. The lander-ascender-rover combination was separated with the orbiter and returner before landing on 1 June 2024 at 22:23 UTC. It landed on the Moon's surface on 1 June 2024. The ascender was launched back to lunar orbit on 3 June 2024 at 23:38 UTC, carrying samples collected by

232-533: A darker appearance. The topography of the basin was mapped in its entirety for the first time using altimeter data and the analysis of stereo image pairs taken during the Clementine mission. Most recently, the composition of this basin has been further constrained by the analysis of data obtained from a gamma-ray spectrometer that was on board the Lunar Prospector mission. The South Pole–Aitken basin

290-613: A probable engine burning. The re-entry to earth happened on 25 June 2024. An atmospheric re-entry module of about 300 kilograms separated from the service module which had flown back from the Moon. This then decelerated by skipping off the atmosphere over the Atlantic before its final descent. This capsule containing about 2 kilograms of samples landed by parachute at 06:07 UTC in the predesignated landing area of Siziwang Banner in Inner Mongolia . Search teams waiting for

348-566: A result of the large amount of material that was excavated due to an impact. Crustal thickness maps constructed using the Moon's topography and gravity field imply a thickness of about 30 km beneath the floor of this basin, in comparison to 60–80 km around it and the global average of about 50 km. The composition of the basin, as estimated from the Galileo , Clementine , and Lunar Prospector missions, appears to be different from typical highland regions. Most importantly, none of

406-493: A robotic research station near the Moon's south pole. The program aims to facilitate a crewed lunar landing in the 2030s and possibly the building of an outpost near the south pole. The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program has started to incorporate private investment from individuals and enterprises for the first time, a move aimed at accelerating aerospace innovation, cutting production costs, and promoting military–civilian relationships. This mission will attempt to determine

464-441: A ~5kg (~11lb) mini-rover named "Jinchan" (Chinese: 金蟾), or "Golden Toad," due to its gold-sheeted insulating exterior. It is described as an "autonomous intelligent mini-robot" by its developer, CASC . Outfitted with its own micro solar panels, the rover was designed to support research into the composition of the lunar surface, the presence of water ice in the lunar soil via an imaging infrared spectrometer . Additionally, Jinchan

522-815: Is a robotic spacecraft mission in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program of the CNSA . It made a soft landing on the far side of the Moon , the first spacecraft to do so, on 3 January 2019. A communication relay satellite , Queqiao , was first launched to a halo orbit near the Earth–Moon L 2 point in May 2018. The robotic lander and Yutu-2 ( Chinese : 玉兔二号 ; pinyin : Yùtù Èrhào ; lit. ' Jade Rabbit No. 2') rover were launched on 7 December 2018 and entered lunar orbit on 12 December 2018, before landing on

580-496: Is designed to be conducted in four phases of incremental technological advancement: The first is simply reaching lunar orbit, a task completed by Chang'e 1 in 2007 and Chang'e 2 in 2010. The second is landing and roving on the Moon, as Chang'e 3 did in 2013 and Chang'e 4 did in 2019. The third is collecting lunar samples from the near-side and sending them to Earth, a task Chang'e 5 completed in 2020, and Chang'e 6 that completed in 2024. The fourth phase consists of development of

638-660: Is performing radio astronomy , whereas the lander and Yutu-2 rover will study the geophysics of the landing zone. The science payloads are, in part, supplied by international partners in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia. The primary function of the Queqiao relay satellite that is deployed in a halo orbit around the Earth–Moon L 2 point is to provide continuous relay communications between Earth and

SECTION 10

#1732772975966

696-417: Is projected to be 3,200 kg (7,100 lb) and the ascent vehicle is about 700 kg (1,500 lb). In October 2018, CNSA announced that it would call for international partners to propose an additional payload up to 10 kg (22 lb) to be included in this mission. In November 2022, it was announced that the mission would carry payloads from four international partners: Chang'e 6 carried

754-604: Is propelled by six wheels. The rover's nominal operating time is three months, but after the experience with Yutu rover in 2013, the rover design was improved and Chinese engineers are hopeful it will operate for "a few years". On November 21, 2019, Yutu 2 broke the lunar longevity record, of 322 Earth days, previously held by the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 1 rover (Nov. 17, 1970 to Oct. 4, 1971). The communications relay satellite, orbiting microsatellite, lander and rover each carry scientific payloads. The relay satellite

812-414: Is that it might simply represent lower crustal materials that are somewhat richer in iron, titanium and thorium than the upper crust; another is that the composition reflects the widespread distribution of ponds of iron-rich basalts , similar to those that make up the lunar maria ; alternatively, the rocks in the basin could contain a component from the lunar mantle if the basin excavated all the way through

870-490: Is the largest, deepest and oldest basin recognized on the Moon. The lowest elevations of the Moon (about −9000 m) are located within the South Pole–Aitken basin. The Moon's tallest mountains are found around the basin's rim – they have summit elevations of up to 8500 m and base-to-peak heights of up to 7000 m. Because of this basin's great size, the crust at this locale is expected to be thinner than typical as

928-519: The China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched the Queqiao ( Chinese : 鹊桥 ; pinyin : Quèqiáo ; lit. ' Magpie Bridge ') relay satellite on 20 May 2018 to a halo orbit around the Earth–Moon L 2 point . The relay satellite is based on the Chang'e 2 design, has a mass of 425 kg (937 lb), and it uses a 4.2 m (14 ft) antenna to receive X band signals from

986-469: The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program , the spacecraft is named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e . It was the first lunar mission to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon ; all previous samples were collected from the near side . The mission began on 3 May 2024 when the spacecraft was launched from Wenchang Space Launch Site on Hainan Island . Its lander and rover touched down on

1044-735: The Netherlands–China Low-Frequency Explorer ( NCLE ), an instrument performing astrophysical studies in the unexplored radio regime of 80 kilohertz to 80 megahertz. It was developed by the Radboud University in Netherlands and the Chinese Academy of Sciences . The NCLE on the orbiter and the LFS on the lander work in synergy performing low-frequency (0.1–80 MHz) radio astronomical observations. The lander and rover carry scientific payloads to study

1102-547: The Von Kármán crater in the large South Pole-Aitken basin . An ancient collision event on the Moon left behind a very large crater, called the Aitken Basin , that is now about 13 km (8.1 mi) deep, and it is thought that the massive impactor likely exposed the deep lunar crust , and probably the mantle materials. If Chang'e 4 can find and study some of this material, it would get an unprecedented view into

1160-549: The 10 km diameter Chicxulub impactor ) that hit at a low angle (about 30 degrees or less), and hence did not dig very deeply into the Moon. Putative evidence for this comes from the high elevations north-east of the rim of the South Pole–Aitken basin that might represent ejecta from such an oblique impact. The impact theory would also account for magnetic anomalies on the Moon. Chang%27e 4 Chang'e 4 ( / tʃ ɑː ŋ ˈ ə / ; Chinese : 嫦娥四号 ; pinyin : Cháng'é Sìhào ; lit. ' Chang'e No. 4')

1218-588: The Chinese shared with American scientists the longitude, latitude, and timing of Chang'e 4's landing. China has agreed to a request from NASA to use the Chang'e 4 probe and Queqiao relay satellite in future American Moon missions. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine congratulated China and hailed the success of the mission as "an impressive accomplishment". Martin Wieser of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics and principal investigator on one of

SECTION 20

#1732772975966

1276-459: The Earth return module at 07:24 UTC on the same day. On 25 June 2024, the return capsule landed in Inner Mongolia . The mission's lander collected 1,935.3 grams (68.27 oz) of lunar far-side material including surface soil and rocks (using a scoop) and subsurface samples (using a drill). With the return capsule's re-entry back to Earth, China became the first nation to bring back samples from

1334-405: The Moon's far side. On 15 January it was announced that seeds had sprouted in the lunar lander's biological experiment, the first plants to sprout on the Moon. The mission is the follow-up to Chang'e 3 , the first Chinese landing on the Moon. The spacecraft was originally built as a backup for Chang'e 3 and became available after Chang'e 3 landed successfully in 2013. The configuration of Chang'e 4

1392-488: The Moon's internal structure and origins. The specific scientific objectives are: Direct communication with Earth is impossible on the far side of the Moon , since transmissions are blocked by the Moon. Communications must go through a communications relay satellite , which is placed at a location that has a clear view of both the landing site and the Earth. As part of the Lunar Exploration Program,

1450-408: The age and composition of an unexplored region of the Moon, as well as develop technologies required for the later stages of the program. The landing craft touched down at 02:26 UTC on 3 January 2019, becoming the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the Moon. Yutu-2 rover was deployed about 12 hours after the landing. The Chang'e 4 mission was first scheduled for launch in 2015 as part of

1508-435: The aim of studying energetic phenomena from celestial sources. Due to the Earth's ionosphere , no observations in this frequency range have been done in Earth orbit, offering potential breakthrough science. The Chang'e 4 lander and rover design was modeled after Chang'e-3 and its Yutu rover . In fact, Chang'e 4 was built as a backup to Chang'e 3 , and based on the experience and results from that mission, Chang'e 4

1566-416: The anomalous composition of the basin is not known with certainty and will likely require a sample return mission to determine. China sent Chang'e 6 on 3 May 2024, which conducted the first lunar sample return from Apollo Basin on the far side of the Moon . This is China's second lunar sample return mission, the first was achieved by Chang'e 5 from the lunar near side four years earlier. It also carried

1624-428: The capsule reached it within minutes using helicopters. The service module likely fired its engine for an Earth-impact avoidance burn. The samples will be studied by Chinese scientists in collaboration with international experts. In the previous case of Chang'e 5 in 2020, direct access to samples by international partners started about three years after their return. After dropping off the return samples for Earth,

1682-402: The completion of sample collection and the placement of the sample on the ascender by the probe's robotic drill and robotic arm, the ascender took off from atop the lander portion of the probe at 23:38 UTC on 3 June 2024. The ascender docked with the Chang'e 6 service module (the orbiter) in lunar orbit at 06:48 UTC on 6 June 2024 and subsequently completed the transfer of the sample container to

1740-401: The crust; and, finally, it is possible that a large portion of the lunar surface surrounding the basin was melted during the impact event, and differentiation of this impact melt sheet could have given rise to additional geochemical anomalies. Complicating the matter is the possibility that several processes have contributed to the basin's anomalous geochemical signature. Ultimately, the origin of

1798-639: The difficulty of construction. The landing site is within a crater called Von Kármán (180 km (110 mi) diameter) in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon that was still unexplored by landers. The site has symbolic as well as scientific value. Theodore von Kármán was the PhD advisor of Qian Xuesen , the founder of the Chinese space program . The landing craft touched down at 02:26 UTC on 3 January 2019, becoming

South Pole–Aitken basin - Misplaced Pages Continue

1856-442: The far side of the Moon. At 06:48 UTC on 6 June, 2024, the Chang'e 6 ascender rendezvoused and docked with the orbiter/returner in lunar orbit. At 07:24 UTC, the lunar sample container was safely transferred to the returner. On 21 June 2024, the service module of Chang'e 6 likely fired its engines to return to Earth from lunar orbit. CNSA has not provided an updates on the mission. Some amateur optical and radio observers reported

1914-400: The far side of the Moon. The hole left by the sampling was in the shape of the character zhong ( 中 ) which is the initial character of China's name Zhōngguó 中国 . This symbolism went viral on Weibo . Chang'e 6 was built as a copy of and backup to Chang'e 5 . The mission is reported to consist of four modules: The estimated launch mass is 8,200 kg (18,100 lb)—the lander

1972-651: The first spacecraft to land on the far side of the Moon. The Yutu-2 rover was deployed about 12 hours after the landing. The selenographic coordinates of the landing site are 177.5991°E, 45.4446°S, at an elevation of -5935 m. The landing site was later (February 2019) named Statio Tianhe . Four other lunar features were also named during this mission: a mountain ( Mons Tai ) and three craters ( Zhinyu , Hegu , and Tianjin ). A few days after landing, Yutu-2 went into hibernation for its first lunar night and it resumed activities on 29 January 2019 with all instruments operating nominally. During its first full lunar day,

2030-591: The first time, a high-resolution image of a lunar ejecta sequence , and, as well, direct analysis of its internal architecture. These were based on observations made by the Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) on board the Yutu-2 rover while studying the far side of the Moon . Chang'e 4 marks the first major United States-China collaboration in space exploration since the 2011 Congressional ban . Scientists from both countries had regular contact prior to

2088-518: The geophysics of the landing zone, with a life science and modest chemical analysis capability. The lander is equipped with the following payloads: According to the deputy project director, who would not quote an exact amount, "The cost (of the entire mission) is close to building one kilometer of subway ." The cost-per-kilometre of subway in China varies from 500 million yuan (about US$ 72 million) to 1.2 billion yuan (about US$ 172 million), based on

2146-470: The instruments onboard Chang'e, said: "We know the far side from orbital images and satellites, but we don't know it from the surface. It's uncharted territory and that makes it very exciting." Chang%27e 6 Chang'e 6 ( Chinese : 嫦娥六号 ; pinyin : Cháng'é liùhào ) was the sixth robotic lunar exploration mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the second CNSA lunar sample-return mission. Like its predecessors in

2204-426: The lander and rover, and relay them to Earth control on the S band . The spacecraft took 24 days to reach L 2 , using a lunar swing-by to save fuel. On 14 June 2018, Queqiao finished its final adjustment burn and entered the L 2 halo mission orbit, which is about 65,000 kilometres (40,000 mi) from the Moon. This is the first lunar relay satellite at this location. The name Queqiao ("Magpie Bridge")

2262-410: The lander on the far side of the Moon. The Queqiao launched on 21 May 2018. It used a lunar swing-by transfer orbit to reach the Moon. After the first trajectory correction maneuvers (TCMs), the spacecraft is in place. On 25 May, Queqiao approached the vicinity of the L 2 . After several small adjustments, Queqiao arrived at L 2 halo orbit on 14 June. Additionally, this satellite hosts

2320-422: The lander, and later completed another robotic rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit. The sample container was then transferred to the returner, which landed on Inner Mongolia on 25 June 2024, completing China's far side extraterrestrial sample return mission. Simulations of near vertical impacts show that the bolide ought to have excavated vast amounts of mantle materials from depths as great as 200 km below

2378-405: The landing. This included talks about observing plumes and particles lofted from the lunar surface by the probe's rocket exhaust during the landing to compare the results with theoretical predictions, but NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was not in the right position for this during the landing. The Americans informed Chinese scientists about its satellites in orbit around the Moon, while

South Pole–Aitken basin - Misplaced Pages Continue

2436-492: The long lunar nights, while electrical power is generated by solar panels . After landing, the lander extended a ramp to deploy the Yutu-2 rover (literally: " Jade Rabbit ") to the lunar surface. The rover measures 1.5 × 1.0 × 1.0 m (4.9 × 3.3 × 3.3 ft) and has a mass of 140 kg (310 lb). Yutu-2 rover was manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology ; it is solar-powered, RHU-heated, and it

2494-457: The lunar far side on 1 June 2024. The lander's robotic scoop and drill took samples with a total mass of 1935.3 grams from the lunar surface; the ascender module then carried these into lunar orbit on 3 June 2024. The ascender docked with the orbiter module in lunar orbit on 6 June 2024 and transferred the samples to an atmospheric re-entry module which then returned to Earth. The mission's lander and rover also conducted scientific experiments on

2552-416: The lunar surface. The overall mission lasted about 53 days, ending on 25 June 2024 with the return capsule re-entering the atmosphere with the samples, landing by parachute in Inner Mongolia . The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program is designed to be conducted in four phases of incremental technological advancement: The preceding Chang'e 5 mission returned 1.731 kilograms (3.82 lb) of material from

2610-423: The northern hemisphere of the lunar near side. The Chang'e 6 mission landed on the southern hemisphere of the lunar far side to gather more material. Specifically, the landing segment of the Chang'e 6 mission touched down in a relatively flat area lying in the southern portion of the Apollo crater , which itself lies within the larger South Pole-Aitken (SPA) impact basin on the lunar far side. Scientists hope that

2668-463: The preselected area of the South Pole–Aitken basin on the far side of the Moon. The engine was cut for the final approach and a cushioning system was used for the freefall touchdown. At 23:38 UTC on 3 June 2024, the Chang'e 6 ascender (carrying the samples) took off from the far side of the Moon and entered the predetermined circumlunar orbit. This was the world's first sampling and takeoff on

2726-420: The rover travelled 120 m (390 ft), and on 11 February 2019 it powered down for its second lunar night. In May 2019, it was reported that Chang'e 4 has identified what appear to be mantle rocks on the surface, its primary objective. In January 2020, China released a large amount of data and high-resolution images from the mission lander and rover. In February 2020, Chinese astronomers reported, for

2784-646: The samples collected from the landing area may include lunar mantle material ejected by the original impact that created the SPA basin, material which can shed light on the differences that exist between the lunar near-side and far-side, and on the origin of the Moon and the Solar System. The Chang'e 6 lander landed at 22:23 UTC on 1 June 2024 in the southern mare of Apollo Basin (lunar coordinates: 41°38′19″S 153°59′07″W  /  41.6385°S 153.9852°W  / -41.6385; -153.9852 ). After

2842-573: The samples obtained from the American Apollo and Russian Luna missions, nor the handful of identified lunar meteorites , have comparable compositions. The orbital data indicate that the floor of the basin has slightly elevated abundances of iron, titanium, and thorium. In terms of mineralogy, the basin floor is much richer in clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene than the surrounding highlands, which are largely anorthositic . Several possibilities exist for this distinctive chemical signature: one

2900-528: The second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. But the adjusted objectives and design of the mission imposed delays, and finally launched on 7 December 2018, 18:23 UTC . The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on 12 December 2018, 08:45 UTC. The orbit's perilune was lowered to 15 km (9.3 mi) on 30 December 2018, 00:55 UTC. Landing took place on 3 January 2019 at 02:26 UTC, shortly after lunar sunrise over

2958-418: The surface. However, observations thus far do not favor a mantle composition for this basin and crustal thickness maps seem to indicate the presence of about 10 kilometers of crustal materials beneath this basin's floor. This has suggested to some that the basin was not formed by a typical high-velocity impact, but may instead have been formed by a low-velocity projectile around 200 km in diameter (compare to

SECTION 50

#1732772975966

3016-562: The topography of the rest of the basin remained unknown. The geologic map showing the northern half of this basin and with its edge depicted was published in 1978 by the United States Geological Survey . Little was known about the basin until the 1990s, when the spacecraft Galileo and Clementine visited the Moon. Multispectral images obtained from these missions showed that this basin contains more FeO and TiO 2 than typical lunar highlands, and hence has

3074-458: Was adapted to the specifics of the new mission. The lander and rover were launched by Long March 3B rocket on 7 December 2018, 18:23 UTC, six months after the launch of the Queqiao relay satellite. The total landing mass is 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). Both the stationary lander and Yutu-2 rover are equipped with a radioisotope heater unit (RHU) in order to heat their subsystems during

3132-788: Was adjusted to meet new scientific and performance objectives. Like its predecessors, the mission is named after Chang'e , the Chinese Moon goddess . In November 2019, Chang'e 4 mission team was awarded Gold Medal by the Royal Aeronautical Society . In October 2020, the mission was awarded the World Space Award by the International Astronautical Federation . Both were the first time for any Chinese mission to receive such awards. The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program

3190-493: Was deliberately directed to crash onto the Moon. Longjiang 2's crash site is located at 16°41′44″N 159°31′01″E  /  16.6956°N 159.5170°E  / 16.6956; 159.5170  ( Longjiang-2 impact site ) inside Van Gent crater, where it made a 4 by 5 metre crater upon impact. These microsatellites were tasked to observe the sky at very low frequencies (1–30 megahertz ), corresponding to wavelengths of 300 to 10 metres (984 to 33 ft), with

3248-808: Was inspired by and came from the Chinese tale The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl . As part of the Chang'e 4 mission, two microsatellites (45 kg or 99 lb each) named Longjiang-1 and Longjiang-2 ( Chinese : 龙江 ; pinyin : Lóng Jiāng ; lit. 'Dragon River'; also known as Discovering the Sky at Longest Wavelengths Pathfinder or DSLWP ), were launched along with Queqiao in May 2018. Both satellites were developed by Harbin Institute of Technology , China. Longjiang-1 failed to enter lunar orbit, but Longjiang-2 succeeded and operated in lunar orbit until 31 July 2019 when it

3306-524: Was not until wide-field photographs taken by the US Lunar Orbiter program became available in 1966-7 that geologists recognized its true size. Laser altimeter data obtained during the Apollo 15 and 16 missions showed that the northern portion of this basin was very deep, but since these data were only available along the near-equatorial ground tracks of the orbiting command and service modules ,

3364-502: Was tasked to image the Chang'e 6 lander on the lunar surface and was equipped cameras on both sides for redundancy purposes. Following the sample collection process, "the mini rover autonomously detached from the lander, moved to a suitable position, selected an ideal angle for the photograph and then captured the image." The probe was launched by a Long March 5 rocket at 09:27 UTC, on 3 May 2024, from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island . After launch, Chang'e 6 entered

#965034