Eleven years ago, China sent its first Orbiter to the moon. The people’s Republic took up the ambitious moon program. The USA, Russia and Europe also want to go to the moon. More about the race to the moon.
A rocket of the type “Long March” brought Chang’e-1 on 24. In October 2007, to the moon
The current landing of a Chinese moon-land robot lunar Landoboters Chang’e 4 is the back side of the moon as a breakthrough in the Chinese space. But it was also a breakthrough in the international space travel: for the First time a Lander has landed on the dark side of the moon.
For more than eleven years previously, on 24. In September 2007, had called China’s ambitious moon program and its first moon Orbiter, Chang’e-1 – named after the Chinese goddess of the moon – into space transported. It was the beginning of a comprehensive moon program. In about ten years, to culminate in a manned Mission.
Unlike the traditional space-faring Nations, China has set up in order for the time being, on his own way to the exploration of the moon. The Chinese lunar program requires the cooperation with partners such as the European space Agency, ESA, to ensure the communication to its probes on the global network, ESTRACK, but in the construction of most of the components, otherwise, no one is involved. However, the Chinese space Agency CNSA collaborates with private space travel firms from Western countries, as well as with universities, when it comes to the construction of special Sensors.
A little more than a year and four months, Chang’e-1 was circling around the moon, until the probe is planned on the first of March 2009 on the surface of the moon hit the floor. The probe around and studied the moon’s nature, the composition of the minerals and solar winds to the moon.
The satellite control room of the CNAS in Beijing in the first moon mission, Chang’e-1
Orbiter, Lander, Return Robot
The collected data were used in the preparation of the next two missions: Chang’e-2 was launched on 1. October 2010, and was largely identical to the previous model. However, it had an upgraded camera and also flew in a lower Orbit around the moon. From this smaller distance the probe was able to provide even higher resolution images – including from the country point of the Chinese lunar-country robot that followed.
This probe, named Chang’e-3 landed after a nearly two-week flight on the 14. December 2013, on the moon and put the Rover Yutu. For 31 months, the Rover explored the moon. However, there was a longer phase, during which came the communication to the earth.
For this, the Orbiter-probe, Chang’e-2 was destined to a long life. You showed what the Chinese engineers are able to: After eight months in lunar orbit, the probe flew into the Depths of our solar system. First of all, to the Lagrange point L2, a fixed-point 1.5 million kilometers from earth, to a near-earth asteroid, the probe photographed from only 3.2 Kilometer distance.
So, the engineers saw in the control room in Beijing, the landing of Chang’e-3
At the end of perhaps Chinese astronauts
China’s next big project, Chang’e-5, a landing probe. You should carry moon rocks back to earth. To prepare for this Mission, the CNSA between the 23. and the 31. October 2014 successfully test flight. The test probe Chang’e 5-T1, flew first of all to the far side of the moon, and then return to earth and land successfully. The ship was loaded with a 14-kg experimental payload of the German retail company Otto hydraulics Bremen (OHB) and the Luxembourg LuxSpace. The flight is to test the re-entry of the capsule into the earth’s atmosphere.
Chang’e-5 will be an important milestone for China’s ambitions to put people on the moon. Currently, observers anticipate that a subsequent manned landing project in about the landing of Apollo 11 by NASA on may 16. July 1969 and would be similar to. It is unclear, however, when Chang’e-5 is due to start. On the website of the CNSA the year 2017 is mentioned as a target. If this date is adhered to, is unclear.
USA, Russia and other partners: An ISS for the moon
Meanwhile, the plans of the well-established space Nations to go for a return to the moon. “Deep Space Gateway” is the name of a space station in moon orbit. The Russian Agency Roscosmos and U.S. space Agency NASA, you want to build between 2024 and 2026.
More: ESA will make a contribution to the new space station
Already now, the European space Agency, ESA, is, indirectly, with on Board, because they are the life-support modules for the future work horse of NASA, the Orion space ship, builds.
A Vision of ESA and NASA: a permanent research station on the moon
The decision to build the “Deep Space Gateway”. Expected to be the ESA member States will contribute in the future in a variety of ways. Other partners contributing to the International space station ISS, such as Japan, open the doors. Japan had already brought in September of 2007, a separate probe in the lunar orbit.
Also a participation of China or India, according to a statement from the Roscosmos Director Igor Komarov conceivable. India had launched in 2008 a private moon mission. It consisted of an Orbiter and a static lander that was dropped on the surface of the moon.
The race to the technical Prestige, or raw materials?
NASA, Roscosmos and ESA expect the moon mission in particular, new opportunities for research. Particularly attractive for astronomers, the erdabgewandte side of the moon, because from there, from star observations – almost in the Umbra are much better.
Also to test new techniques – for example, for a future Mars mission could serve as a lunar station, as well as for basic research. Emerging space Nations such as China, India or Japan to engage primarily, in order to make their technical and scientific skills.
Little suggests, however, that the various state actors, which is currently part of the race to the moon, combine is actually simpler, economic interests. The battle for access to cheap raw materials. Today’s space travel and the space travel in the foreseeable future hardly can be a substitute for mining on the earth.
Given the high cost of investment in the space, it would be hardly profitable to be mining in space for resources. So far, there is certainly no company that could develop a successful business model.
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China’s first moon travel: The Jadehase landedThe big Moment
It looks like in a computer game, than to see shortly after 21 o’clock local time in the space control center in Beijing, the Placement of the probe “Chang’e-3”. Huge screens broadcast the animated pictures of the first landing of a Chinese spacecraft on the moon.
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China’s first moon travel: The Jadehase landedOn A Tour Of Discovery
Mountainous rubble and earth in the distant future: for the First time a Chinese ship on Saturday afternoon, landed on the moon, on Board the here illustrated moon vehicle by the name of Jadehase (“Yutu”). As a result, China is in addition to the United States and the former Soviet Union, the third Nation that has made a landing on the moon. Jadehase should start from Sunday with his work.
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China’s first moon travel: The Jadehase landedWith six wheels on the moon
The 140-kilogram, six-wheeled Rover with solar flights to explore for three months, the surface of the moon. He moves in a speed of up to 200 meters per hour. The moon landing is regarded by experts as the most challenging projects of the ambitious Chinese space program . More than 80 percent of the technology is used for the first Time.
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China’s first moon travel: The Jadehase landedFor twelve days in All
Into space, the vehicle was shot in front of around two weeks of the carrier rocket “Chang’e-3”, which flew recently in an elliptical orbit around the moon. Unlike previous moon of the USA rides and the USSR could float “Chang’e” is about 100 meters above the surface of the moon, a suitable place to land. The risky endeavor to increase China’s Prestige.
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China’s first moon travel: The Jadehase landedAboard the daughter of the Moon
The spacecraft is the Chinese daughter of the Moon “Chang’e” is named, was a legend that a white hare as a pet. In an online survey, three million Chinese for the name “Jadehase had voted” for the Moon buggy.
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China’s first moon travel: The Jadehase landedRace in the Cold war
The Chinese Mission is the first in a long time. Most recently, in 1976, was landed by the Soviet probe “Luna 24” on the moon. Since the 1950s, the USSR and the United States, but in the space of a hard race. First of all, the Soviet Union had the nose front: The Soviet moon car “Lunochod 1”, here taken in 1971, was the first remote-controlled vehicle on the moon.
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China’s first moon travel: The Jadehase landedMan on the moon
With the manned moon mission, Apollo 11, the Americans made the most important step. It is one of the most famous images in the history of mankind: Astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin stands in 1969, in addition to the waving American flag on the moon. He and Neil Armstrong entered as the first man on the moon: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
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China’s first moon travel: The Jadehase landedThe world is watching
As the Chinese space now also the American landing on the moon then held the world in suspense: Around 600 million people watched the event on television. After a nearly 22-hour stay, the lander launched from the moon’s surface. Conspiracy theorists believe until today: This images was shot in a television Studio.
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Super moon-American sitcoms – your picturesBonn, North Rhine-Westphalia
A normal full moon? No… more than that! Because this super moon, two special events have come together: The moon on its elliptical orbit of the earth as close as it gets, and at the same time a full moon. Fabian Schmidt has captured the Moment of Bonn, however, already on Sunday night – Monday night it was cloudy.
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Super moon-American sitcoms – your picturesBad Wimpfen, Baden-Württemberg
Came to such a situation, it is the last in 1948. NASA described the recent super moon, even as an “extra-supermoon”. No wonder, then, that the whole world is in the full-moon-fever. This is an image of Harry from Bad Wimpfen.
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Super moon-American sitcoms – your picturesThe Quadriga on the Brandenburg gate, Berlin
The next opportunity for the super moon is in 2034. If the weather does not then one or other of a line through the bill, and such fantastic images. Thank you to Hermann Büchen for this one extension.
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Super moon-American sitcoms – your picturesTeltow (Brandenburg)
However, even a few cirrostratus clouds can not harm the fascinating super moon in the right Setting, nothing. Jörg A. Reichel has set up the event nicely.
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Super moon-American sitcoms – your picturesFriedberg (Hessen)
In the Wetterau in Hesse, it was cloudy – as in large Parts of Berlin – right. Ralf Bayer sent us this atmospheric picture from Friedberg.
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Super moon-American sitcoms – your picturesClear skies over France
Since it had to shoot the moon fans in France, easier, nice pictures. Michael Niessen has chosen the perfect spot: the moon is in line with the lake.