"Jade Rabbit" Lunar Module Lands on the Moon

[calikid]

It's nice to see a government (ANY government) spending money on open research instead of black projects.

Chinese spacecraft lands on moon
By Sophie Brown

China's first lunar rover landed on the moon Saturday, less than two weeks after it blasted off from Earth, Chinese state news reported.

The landing makes China one of only three nations -- after the United States and the former Soviet Union -- to "soft-land" on the moon's surface, and the first to do so in more than three decades.

Chang'e-3, an unmanned spacecraft, will release Jade Rabbit (called Yutu in Chinese) -- a six-wheeled lunar rover equipped with at least four cameras and two mechanical legs that can dig up soil samples to a depth of 30 meters.

The solar-powered rover will patrol the moon's surface, studying the structure of the lunar crust as well as soil and rocks, for at least three months. The robot's name was decided by a public online poll and comes from a Chinese myth about the pet white rabbit of a goddess, Chang'e, who is said to live on the moon.

Weighing 140 kilograms, the slow-moving rover carries an optical telescope for astronomical observations and a powerful ultraviolet camera that will monitor how solar activity affects the various layers -- troposphere, stratosphere and ionosphere -- that make up the Earth's atmosphere, China's information technology ministry said in a statement.

The Jade Rabbit is also equipped with radioisotope heater units, allowing it to function during the cold lunar nights when temperatures plunge as low as -180°C (-292°F).

China's space program

China has rapidly built up its space program since it first sent an astronaut into space in 2003. In 2012, the country conducted 18 space launches, according to the Pentagon.

The Chang'e-3 mission constitutes the second phase of China's moon exploration program, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. Story Continues

[majicbar]

Would the Chinese have interests in joining the coverup, or would they reveal any alien artifacts that they might come across?

[calikid]

Would the Chinese have interests in joining the coverup, or would they reveal any alien artifacts that they might come across?

Good question. But since their terrestrial E.T. policy seems to be "tow the line", I don't expect Lunar revelations anytime soon.

[epo333]

Good question. But since their terrestrial E.T. policy seems to be "tow the line", I don't expect Lunar revelations anytime soon.

Looks like a few good photos here...

http://www.space.com/23786-china-moo...e3-lander.html

[CasperParks]

Looks like a few good photos here...

http://www.space.com/23786-china-moo...e3-lander.html

Good photos, some appear to be in color.

[epo333]

Good photos, some appear to be in color.

With the cameras of today (vs 30 or 40 years ago) we should be able to count the grains of sand . . .LOL

Has anyone noticed how the MSM in the US has played this down a bit. A soft landing on the moon by anyone is a major accomplishment.

[Longeyes]

So have they got someone blurring out portions of their photos too?

Can't quite imagine why the Chinese have quite the same views on disclosure. They must be desperate toget thier hands on the technology from crashed Et craft. What's the deal that keeps them quiet?

Did a craft shadow Jade rabbit to the moon like one of the Apollo missions?
And I thought we had been warned off landing on the moon?

[Doc]

So have they got someone blurring out portions of their photos too?

Can't quite imagine why the Chinese have quite the same views on disclosure. They must be desperate toget thier hands on the technology from crashed Et craft. What's the deal that keeps them quiet?

Did a craft shadow Jade rabbit to the moon like one of the Apollo missions?
And I thought we had been warned off landing on the moon?

I think it is likely that the reports that we were 'warned off' are true. The Chinese may not believe the reports, don't think it applies to them or just don't care. Perhaps the Chinese will have their own encounter. These are interesting times.

[calikid]

So the lander is solar powered, and they powered it down for one lunar night (14 earth days), no sunlight/no power.
Anyone hear a date when it will power up again and resume exploration?

[calikid]

Now that the rover is "awake", let's hope some hi-rez pictures finally start rolling in.

China's first lunar rover and lander wake up after two weeks
Press Trust of India

Beijing: China's first lunar rover 'Yutu' and the Chang'e-3 lander have woken up after a period of dormancy that lasted two weeks, in a move designed to ride out harsh climactic conditions on the Moon.

Yutu was awakened yesterday evening and has finished necessary setting procedures and entered a normal working mode following orders from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

It has now started its rove around the moon surface and scientific missions.

Chang'e-3 has also been awakened automatically this morning, and is currently in normal condition, a statement issued by the BACC said.

One night on the moon lasts about 14 days on Earth, during which the temperature falls below minus 180 celsius and there is no sunlight to provide power to the instruments' solar panels.

"During the lunar night, the lander and the rover were in a power-off condition and the communication with Earth was also cut off," said Zhou Jianliang, chief engineer of the BACC.

"When the night ends, they will be started up with the power provided by sunlight and resume operation and communication according to pre-set programmes," Zhou was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

The awakening of the rover and lander marks the success of Chinese technology in surviving the lunar night, and the center will instruct the two instruments to carry on scheduled exploration missions, the chief engineer added.
Story continues

The rover:


The lander:


Photos Credit to: Chinese Academy of Sciences