China to the Moon - Chang'e program, Chinese unmanned lunar mission Options

[Phil Stooke]

A stretched out version - easier to try to locate it. But I don't recognize the area. This has north up, from the lighting direction, if it's taken on the last orbit.

Phil

[Geert]

According to moondaily.com China plans a (unmanned) moonlanding for 2013.

The article contains an image of a sample-return probe taking off from the moon which indeed looks a lot like a (Soviet) Y8E derived vehicle.

If this is true, my earlier remark here that this landingsite might be selected for its option to fly a direct ascent trajectory back to earth seems to make sense, they might indeed be planning to attempt a sample-return mission with a moonlanding in the vicinity of the present crash-site.

Regards,

Geert.

[Paolo]

China to finish high-resolution topographic lunar map by September

[Paolo]

This Aviation Week article http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/sto...china092809.xml is mostly about MSF, but it does say that Chang'e 2 will fly in October 2010.
"Improvements include a better camera with a resolution of 5 meters (16.4 ft.) at the surface, they say."

[Guest_Zvezdichko_*]

http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/news.shtml

Novosti-Kosmonavtiki confirms launch in October 2010 and it is also said that Chang'e 2 will be 100 kms closer to the lunar surface. It's also said that the instruments will be even more sophisticated and powerful, but I don't know about the resolution of the camera.

Chang'e 2 will be based on a back-up spacecraft for Chang'e 1 already built. Initially it was supposed to be launched as-is, as a clone of Chang'e 1, but now it's confirmed it will carry more powerful instruments.

Novosti-Kosmonavtiki also says the moon rover will be launched no later than 2013. The moon rover will study the local resources, particularly minerals. The rover will be a stepping stone to a human mission to the Moon, which has to occur no later than 2030.

[Guest_Zvezdichko_*]

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Change_1...ration_999.html

A new article plus a thumbnail of the topographic map. Do you have any idea if we already have a bigger version somewhere?

http://www.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/hir...hange1hasbl.jpg

[nprev]

100 km closer using the same spacecraft bus & upgraded instruments, eh? They don't seem too worried about thermal problems.

[Hungry4info]

Perhaps with the information gained from their first lunar mission, they're confident they'll be able to handle it. On the other hand, if they suddenly consider raising altitude for a better view, we'll know what's happening

[Phil Stooke]

LRO's at 50 km and it's not bothering them.

Phil

[nprev]

Surely. I was being kind of elliptical; it appears that they are quite confident in their basic design is what I meant.

[IM4]

Do you have any idea if we already have a bigger version somewhere?

Yes, we have. See attachments below. First one is topographical map from Chang'e Laser Altimeter with North/South pole views presented. Second one is a kind of microwave map at 37 GHz. I can't translate the title, but I suppose it presents a microwave emissivity of the moon regolith.

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[Hendrik]

微波月亮 34Ghz 白天正面/背面

microwave moon 34Ghz Daytime Frontside/Backside

[Phil Stooke]

(checking in from vacation)

(like, who can stay away from UMSF even if a vacation is supposed to be happening?)

So now I hear that Chang-e 2, the Moon orbiter due to launch in October this year, will be carrying a small lunar impact probe, as Chandrayaan 1 did. Presumably it will be testing tracking, altimetry etc., and maybe imaging down to the surface in support of the lander scheduled for 2013.

Phil

[rlorenz]

I can't translate the title, but I suppose it presents a microwave emissivity of the moon regolith.

Microwave brightness temperature (there is a color scalebar in K on the plot..)
This has an emissivity contribution, but is dominated by the physical temperature
which in this case is dominated by latitude.

There have been a few papers published on these (nice) data - possibly some of the
most solid results from Chang'e so far, or at least results complementary to what
everyone else has flown.

e.g. LPSC abstract http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2010/pdf/1331.pdf

[Paolo]

Lunar microwave temperature maps presented at EPSC
http://lunarscience.arc.nasa.gov/articles/...e-complete-moon