Chang'e-2 China is going deep. via Wikimedia China jumped into the space race a few decades too late for the original moon race, but the State Administration of Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) is feverishly working to close the space technology gap with Russia and the United States. As part of that effort, China’s Chang’e-2 moon orbiter left its moon orbit today and set a heading for interplanetary space, with a destination more than 930,000 miles from Earth.
Chang’e-2 is China’s second lunar orbiter and by April 1 of this year had completed all of the tasks it was designed to carry out over its planned six-month lifespan. So SASTIND researchers gave it two more objectives, including snapping images of the lunar poles and dipping into a low orbit to grab some closeups of the Bay of Rainbows, a potential future landing site for Chinese moon missions.
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China Announces Plan to Build a Manned Space Station of its Own Within Ten YearsTagsTechnology, Clay Dillow, chang'e 2, china, interplanetary space, lunar orbiters, moon landing, SpaceBut Chang’e-2 was still humming along on ample fuel reserves after these two additional tasks were also ticked off the checklist. So scientists decided to break orbit and head out deeper into space. The journey to its final destination will take about 85 days.
And what will Chang’e-2 be examining out there? Nothing really. But SASTIND researchers on the ground will be examining Chang’e-2. China has expressed a determination to develop its own home-grown space capabilities rather than lean on NASA, the ESA, or Russia. This trip will mark the furthest a Chinese satellite has traveled into space, and it will give scientists a chance to probe the challenges in communication, data downlink, and control that arise when vast distances separate a spacecraft and the home planet.
Given China’s ambitious space schedule, these things need to be sorted out sooner rather than later. The People’s Republic wants a moon rover on the lunar surface by next year, and a second rover shortly thereafter, which will be capable of collecting samples and returning to Earth with them. Arrival of that mission back on Earth is slated for 2017, just one decade after China’s launched its first lunar orbiter.
[Xinhua]
Previous Article: Iceland's Citizens Are Writing Its New Constitution OnlineNext Article: The 25 Best Places to Photograph on Planet Earth 2 Comments Link to this comment drchuck1 06/10/11 at 2:22 amthis just shows how far behind china is, the next post will probably attest how china will beat us to mars, hogwash
Link to this comment thinkfirst55 06/10/11 at 9:24 amThat's a pretty smug and short-sighted comment. The Chinese are making remarkable strides in their space program--meanwhile NASA is underfunded and not moving as fast as they could (not their fault). In any case, this isn't another moon race and I don't care who makes it to Mars first. Whoever does it, it will be a remarkable achievement for all mankind.
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