Category Archives: China

Friday / 13 December 2013

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LADEE Gathers Data As Chang’e-3 Prepares For Landing

LADEE & Chang'e-3

LADEE In Science Operations Orbit Skimming Moon Surface Between 20-50km & 75-150km; NMS Instrument Detecting Argon-40, Helium & Neon, LDEX Observing Occasional Bursts Of Dust Particles (Ranging From Few Per Minute To Several Hundred In Under 30 Seconds) Suspected Cause Is Meteoroids Impacting Surface, UVS Measuring Potassium & Sodium Levels; Chang’e-3 Landing Expected 14 Dec Will Add Dust, Gases To Atmosphere – LADEE May Be Able To Measure Distribution / Evolution

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Thursday / 12 December 2013

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Chang’e-3 Catalyzing Collaborative International Lunar Interests

ChinaMoonCollaboration1213

Pakistan Prime Minister Congratulates China On Moon Program Success; Turkey Expresses Desire To Work With China On Astronaut Program & Lunar Exploration; ESA Assisting With Chang’e-3 Communications, Additional Collaboration In Future Missions Likely; Deputy Commander-In-Chief Of China Lunar Program Li Benzheng Says China Interested In Space Cooperation With India, Open To Working With Other Countries 

Image Credit: CNSA

Friday / 6 December 2013

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Chang’e-3 To Enter Moon Orbit Today

Chang'e-3 LOI

China Spacecraft To Enter 100Km Circumlunar Orbit 09:30 UT After 112-Hour Cruise & Prepare For 14 Dec Landing At Sinus Iridum 44°N, 31°W Between 08:00-12:00; Chief Designer Sun Zezhou (L) States Mission Success Based On Safe Landing, Rover Functionality, Imaging Of Rover & Lander, Reception Of Data By Ground Control; Greg Kulacki (R) UCS China Project Manager Says China May Prefer International Collaboration On Human Moon Missions

Image Credit: CCTV, NASA GSFC, Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, CNS

Wednesday / 4 December 2013

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Preserving Historic Lunar Sites From Rising Tide Of Moon Exploration

PreserveMoonSites1213

With China Moon Landing Fast Approaching & Commercial  Missions Soon To Follow, US Legislators Propose Bill To Qualify Apollo Sites As National Park; Space Law Experts Henry Hertzfeld (R) & Scott Pace Say This Action May Violate UN Outer Space Treaty, Suggest Government Officials Open Dialogue To Establish Ground Rules For Respecting Mission Sites / Equipment / Artifacts; May Also Help Ease Strained International Relations

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Thanksgiving Edition / Thu-Mon
28 Nov – 2 Dec 2013

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Chang’e-3 Moon Launch Expected NET Mon 2 Dec 01:00 China Time

Chang'e-3TotheMoon

‘Middle Country’ First Attempt To Land On Another World And First Attempted Moon Landing By Anyone In 37+ Years May Mark Start Of Permanent Lunar Operations, For Good; Weather Permitting Chang’e-3 / Yutu Will Launch On Long March 3B From Xichang Launch Site Into Direct Lunar Transfer Orbit, Moon Orbit Insertion After 5-Day Cruise, Entry Descent Landing EDL Phase To Commence After 10 Days In Lunar Orbit

Image Credit: CNSA, CLEP

Wednesday / 27 November 2013

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China LUT To Take Advantage Of Moon As Ideal Venue For Astronomy

LUT1113

LUT – Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope To Land On Moon Mid Dec Aboard Chang’e-3; Scientific Goals Include Continuous Monitoring Of Variable Stars & Galaxies, Low Galactic Latitude Sky Survey; Instrument Will Observe During Lunar Daytime; Flat Mirror With Gimbal Mount Provides Over 1200 Square Degrees Of Visible Sky For 150mm-Diameter Aperture Telescope; Stable Platform, Tenuous Atmosphere Of Moon Ideal For Long-Duration Low-Frequency Observations; Pictured: LUT Lead Scientist Jianyan Wei

Image Credit: phys.scichina.com, ILOA, CNSA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 22-25 Nov 2013

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JFK 50 Years Downrange And Sputnik 2.0

JFK 50 Years & Sputnik 2

China Moon Landing Next Month
Likely To Energize USA New Space, Moon,
Solar System R&D, And Galaxy Awareness,
Including Moon South Pole Power Station Prototype

 

Image Credit: NASA, CNSA

Weekend Edition / Fri-Mon 8-11 Nov 2013

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LADEE / Chang’e-3 Conjunction: Opportunity For International Cooperation

MissionConjunction1113

Dec Moon Landing Of China Chang’e-3 Could Provide NASA LADEE Orbital Mission Unique Opportunity To Collect Data On Ejected Dust From Descent Engines; Valuable For Planning Future Missions, Heritage Site Preservation, Lunar Base Development; Current USA Policy Impeding NASA From Arranging Such Collaboration With China; Apollo Moonwalkers Advocate For NASA To Begin Cooperation With China On Human Moon Return

Image Credit: NASA, CLEP, CNSA

Tuesday / 29 October 2013

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Chang’e-3 Carrier Rocket En Route To Launch Site

XichangOnDaWay1013

Changcheng 3B / Long March 3B Rocket En Route From Beijing To Xichang Space Center – Chang’e-3 Launch Site, Expected To Arrive 1 Nov; Carrier Rocket Equipped With A Number Of New Technologies To Further Its Reliability; Tests On Chang’e-3 Moon Probe Proceeding Smoothly As China Prepares To Conduct The 1st Soft Landing On Moon In 37 Years; Country Considering Human Moon Mission Between 2020-2025

Image Size: EPA / NG Hong, cntv.cn

Friday / 25 October 2013

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China Chief Lunar Scientist Ouyang
Notes Moon Military Uses

LED 25 Oct

In Speech At Shenzhen City People’s Culture Hall On 13 October 2013, Prof Ziyuan Ouyang, Senior / Chief Lunar Scientist At NAOC / Chinese Academy Of Sciences, Noted: “To Carry Out Lunar Exploration Project Has Four Major Reasons: The Moon Has A Major Military Strategic Position, Will Become A Contemporary Space Warfare Military Platform …”, And Many Other Vital Resources And Assets; Statement Likely To Need Resolution With American Apollo Spirit “In Peace For All”

Image Credit: CUG, AIA, NASA, randomwire.com