posted 12-07-2018 12:50 PM               

China launches probe, rover on mission to land on moon's far side

China has launched a robotic lunar lander and wheeled rover in an attempt to achieve the first surface exploration of the far side of the moon.

The Chang'e 4 mission lifted off Friday (Dec. 7) at 1:23 p.m. EST (1823 GMT or 2:23 a.m. Beijing time on Dec. 8) on a Long March 3B rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China. If all proceeds to plan, the lander and rover is expected to touch down in Von Kármán crater, within the South Pole-Aitken Basin, after a five-day trip to the moon and then three weeks in lunar orbit, on or about Jan. 3, 2019.

posted 12-12-2018 08:14 AM               

Chang'e 4 enters lunar orbit

China's Chang'e 4 probe entered lunar orbit on Wednesday (Dec. 12), according to Chinese space officials.

The spacecraft entered an elliptical lunar orbit with the perilune of 62 miles (100 kilometers) at 3:45 a.m. EST (0845 GMT or 4:45 p.m. Beijing time), according to the China Lunar Exploration Project (CLEP). The lunar orbit insertion burn was performed at 80 miles (129 km) above the lunar surface.

The mission had planned three trajectory correction maneuvers on the way to the moon, but only one, performed on Dec. 9, was deemed necessary.

posted 12-30-2018 10:35 AM               

Chang'e 4 lowers orbit ahead of far side landing

China's Chang'e-4 spacecraft entered a planned lower lunar orbit on Sunday (Dec. 30) to prepare for its attempt at the first-ever landing on the far side of the moon, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced.

The probe entered an elliptical lunar orbit with the perilune at about 9 miles (15 kilometers) and the apolune at about 62 miles (100 km), the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported, citing CNSA.

Since Chang'e-4 entered its initial lunar orbit on Dec. 12, the ground control center in Beijing has trimmed the probe's orbit twice and tested the communications link between the spacecraft and the relay satellite Queqiao. Flight controllers have also tested the imaging instruments and ranging detectors on Chang'e 4 to prepare for the landing, which is expected in early January.

posted 01-03-2019 01:45 AM               

China's Chang'e 4 probe achieves first landing on far side of moon

A Chinese robotic probe carrying a small, multi-wheeled rover has become the first spacecraft in history to land on the far side of the moon.

China's Chang'e 4 lander touched down on the side of the moon that permanently faces away from Earth. The landing in Von Kármán crater within the moon's South Pole-Aitken basin was achieved on Wednesday (Jan. 2) at 9:26 p.m. EST (0226 GMT or 10:26 a.m. Beijing time on Jan. 3), according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

posted 01-03-2019 11:03 AM               

Chang'e 4 lander deploys 'Yutu 2' rover

China's Chang'e-4 rover, officially named "Yutu 2" ("Jade Rabbit 2") after successfully landing on the far side of the moon, rolled of its lander onto the lunar surface at 9:22 a.m. EST (1422 GMT; 10:22 p.m Beijing time) on Thursday (Jan. 3).