Category Archives: Chang’e Program

Thursday / 30 June 2016

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New Hainan Spaceport / Moonport  “China’s Cape Canaveral” Opens With LM-7 First Launch

LED-6-29-16

New Wenchang Satellite Launch Center At 19°N 110°E On Hainan Island, Southern-most Province Off Southeast Coast of China Is 20-km2 Complex With 2 Main Launch Sites, Rocket Assembly Plant, Command Center, Tracking Stations; Will Host China’s Largest, Most Ambitious Launches For Decades To Come, Including Chang’e 4-6, Mars Probes, Eventual Human Moon Missions, China Space Station; Astronaut Leroy Chiao Sums Up China Space Program “The Message Is The Same That It’s Been For Some Time. They’re In This Game To Stay. They’re Making Long-term Plans To Stay In Space & Expand Their Presence In Space”

Credit:Google, CNSA

Friday / 24 June 2016

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China Chang’e-5 Propulsion System Completing Tests, Hainan Spaceport Maiden Launch 26 June

China Human Moon, CE5

CE-5 Sample Return Mission On Track For 2017 Launch With Lander, Rover, Orbiter Completing Final Propulsion System R&D, General Assembly & General Testing At CASC; China In Prime Position To Help Lead Effort To Put Humans On Moon With Inaugural Hainan Spaceport / Moonport Launch Of Long March 7 On 26 June, Development Of Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, Tiangong-2 Space Lab Launch NET Sep, Long March 5 Launch Sep-Oct, Tiangzhou-1 Crewed Launch Apr 2017, CE-4 In 2018, CE-6 In 2020

Credit: CASC, CNSA, China.org.cn, Xinhua, CCTV News

Thursday / 23 June 2016

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Multiple Human Moon Missions Evolving As Major National / International Goals

LED-6-22-16

Astronaut Tim Peake Has New Focus On Lunar Missions As ESA Plans To Establish A Cislunar ‘Deep Space Habitat’ For Lunar Surface & Solar System Exploration; Dave Parker Of ESA Human Spaceflight Cites Upcoming Discussions At Ministerial Conference In Lucerne, Switzerland In December; China Manned Space Program Deputy Chief Zhang Yulin Recently Proclaimed The Goal Of ‘Crewed Lunar Exploration’, With Analysts Predicting This Could Be Achieved As Soon As 2020s; Russia Plans To Permanently Station 12 Cosmonauts On Lunar Surface, Starting With 2-4 People By 2030

Credit: ESA, Roscosmos, CNSA

Wednesday / 15 June 2016

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China Moon South Pole CE4 Details Emerging For 2018 Mission

LED-6-14-2016

Liu Tongjie, Deputy Director Of CNSA Lunar Exploration & Space Program Centre Highlights Launch Of Critical CE4 Communications Relay Satellite To Halo Orbit Of Earth-Moon L2 In Late-May Or Early-June 2018; Followed ~6 Months Later By Launch Of Lander To South Pole Aitken Basin Fitted With Descent, Terrain Cameras; Main Payload Is Low-Frequency Radio Spectrometer; 3 International Payloads From Netherlands, Sweden, Germany; Rover With Panoramic Camera, Ground-Penetrating Radar, Infrared Spectrometer

Credit: CNSA, NAOC-CAS, CNS, JAXA (Topographical map of Moon farside based on Kaguya data, Aitken basin approximately 2,500km in diameter and 13km deep circled, red represents high elevation, purple represents low elevation)

Wednesday / 1 June 2016

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China Advancing Ambitious Lunar Plans, Strong Policy Support For Civil & Commercial Space Programs

LED-5-31-2016

CNSA Secretary General Tian Yulong Provides Details Of 2017 Chang’e-5 Mission; In Addition To Landing And Sample Return, Probe To Conduct Systematic Exploration Of North & South Poles From Orbit; Tian Also Notes Recent Discussions With ESA On Moonbase / Human Mission Cooperation; Draft Of 1st China Astronautical Law And “China’s Space Flight” White Paper Expected By End Of Year; Release Of Regulations / Other Documents Is In Preparation For Multiple Space Missions During 13th Five-Year Plan Period 2016 – 2020 And To Support Continued Development In The Aerospace Industry

Credit: CNSA, Beihang University

Friday / 29 January 2016

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Long March 5 Maiden Flight Planned For Sep-Oct, Will Carry Chang’e-5 In 2017

China Rockets

China Long March 5 Heavy-Lift Rocket With Maximum Payload Capacity Of 14,000kg To GTO Is Being Set Up For Launch Rehearsal, Tested & Assembled At Wenchang Satellite Launch Center (19°N) On Hainan Island In Preparation For Sep-Oct Initial Flight According To Lei Fanpei (CASC); Rocket Launching From Hainan To Loft Chang’e-5 Lunar Sample Return Mission In 2017; Long March 7 Medium-Heavy Rocket Maiden Flight Planned For June, Will Launch Future Cargo For Next-Gen China Space Station

Credit: CASC, Bing Map, sinodefence, CALT, NASA

Wednesday / 16 December 2015

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China Chang’e-4 Readying For Moon Far Side Mission 2020, Relay Satellite 2018

12162015With Goal Of First Landing On Moon Far Side, CE-4 Communications Relay Satellite Being Prepared To Deploy In 2018 Via Long March 5 Rocket From Wenchang Satellite Launch Complex At Hainan Island; Satellite Will Serve As Communications Link Between Moon Far Side / Earth From L2; CE-4 Lander & Rover Slated For NET 2020 Launch & Will Have Low Frequency Radio Spectrometer For Astronomy; Chief Scientist Of China Lunar Exploration Program Ziyuan Ouyang States “Since Chang’e-3 Successfully Completed Its Mission We Have Had More Time To Explore A More Comprehensive Mission For Chang’e-4”

Credit: CNSA, CAST, CLEP, NASA

Tuesday / 15 December 2015

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China Chang’e-3 Spacecraft Enters Year 3 On Moon; Honorary Currency Celebrates China National Spaceflight

12152015Currently In Lunar Night 25 Chang’e-3 (CE-3) Expected To Awaken 21 Dec & Begin Lunar Day 26 Operations; First Long-Term Robotic Observatory Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) On CE-3 Continues To Gather Images Of Galaxies / Binary Stars / Deep Space With Fewer Limitations Than Earth Due To The Thin Exosphere; Chinese Lunar Exploration Program Has 3 Phases: Orbiting CE-1 & CE-2 / Landing CE-2 & CE-4 (To Far Side NET 2018) / Sample Return CE-5 (Slated For 2017) & CE-6; China’s Central Bank Commemorates Chang’e-1 On Currency (Bill & Coin) 2015 Banknote Reads “Chinese Spaceflight Commemorative”

Credit: People’s Bank of China, CNSA, CAST, CLEP, NASA

Thanksgiving Edition
Thu-Mon / 26-30 November 2015

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China Lunar Exploration Program,
Chang’e Missions 1-6 May Enable 2020s Human Missions

Chang'e-1-6

China Momentum For CE-5 Sample Return Mission 2017, CE-4 Lander / Rover / Orbiter To Far Side 2018, Potential CE-6 Sample Return 2020, And Possible 2020s Human Moon Missions Fueled By Success Of China Lunar Exploration And Technology Development Including CE-1 & 2 Orbiters, CE-3 Lander & Yutu Rover, CE-5-T1 Return Capsule, Long March Family Of Rockets & Newly Developing Spaceport On Hainan Island; China Well Positioned To Become 2nd Country To Land Humans On Moon

Table of China Lunar Program produced by ILOA / SPC

Credit: NAOC-CAS, CNSA, CCTV, Xinhua News Agency

Friday / 20 November 2015

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China Chang’e-2 Lunar Probe Adding To Data On Formation And Evolution Of Near Earth Asteroids

11202015Chang’e-2 Images Of Asteroid 4179 Toutatis Being Studied By China & U.S. Scientists To Identify Sizes & Distribution Pattern Of More Than 200 Boulders On Surface; Findings Aid Future Asteroid, Deep Space Missions; CE-2 Heading Toward 300M Km Apogee To Verify China Deep-Space Tracking & Control Systems; CE-2 Is First Satellite To Be Removed From Moon Orbit & Go To L2, It Tested Technologies For CE-3 Moon Landing; China Affirms Chang’e Lunar Program “Going As Planned” As Stated By Chief Commander Ye Peijian Of CAST

Credit: CAST