Full Version: China to the Moon - Chang'e program
Congratulations to CSNA & the people of China!
QUOTE (yaohua2000 @ Oct 5 2010, 11:17 PM) 
The 490-Newton thrust main engine started at 03:05:59 UTC, burned for 1942 seconds. Chang'e 2 is now in lunar orbit at an altitude of 100 km.
To be precise, Chang'2 entered a preliminary 12-hour orbit. Two more adjustments are needed before it reaches the 100-km working orbit.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/chin.../c_13544216.htm
Chang-e 2 has been operating in its 100 km circular orbit for a while, probably testing its instruments and maybe collecting some data. Yesterday it began testing the camera system, and tomorrow it will drop into its 100 by 15 km low pass over Sinus Iridum for the first time.
This from a report in the People's Daily today.
Phil
This from a report in the People's Daily today.
Phil
Link please Phil?
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90881/7178577.html
The spacecraft is in its 100 by 15 km orbit and will image Sinus Iridum tomorrow (Wednesday)
Phil
The spacecraft is in its 100 by 15 km orbit and will image Sinus Iridum tomorrow (Wednesday)
Phil
this time they seem even less willing to release pics than they were with CE-1
Have they taken any yet?
We're told that imaging of the landing site will be today. There may simply not be much to release yet.
We're told that imaging of the landing site will be today. There may simply not be much to release yet.
Right - as I understand it there are only test images so far. This is not a global mapping mission (with the camera, maybe it is with the other instruments), it is intended to focus on specific future landing sites. So Chang-e 2 has dropped into its lower perilune orbit for a short imaging period, maybe only a few orbits. Then I assume they will raise perilune again and wait until the groundtrack crosses another target under good lighting conditions, drop it again and so on. They have lots of fuel, so they can presumably do several of these sessions. Presumably the target areas will also be imaged under optimal lighting conditions from 100 km for wider coverage at intermediate resolution.
No word yet on the suggested impactor. A page on technical innovations referred to a 'landing camera', which might be part of it.
Phil
No word yet on the suggested impactor. A page on technical innovations referred to a 'landing camera', which might be part of it.
Phil
Got this via email today from Yong-Chun Zheng at National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences
QUOTE
Chang'E-2 lunar probe has entered into the 100km x 15km orbit, and begun to take photo for Bay of Rainbows.
Engineers of Beijing Aerospace Command & Control Centre (BACC) have maneuvered Chang'E-2 into the 100km x 15km orbit in the night of 26, Oct, 2010 (Beijing Local Time). BACC is the commanding, decision-making and control centre of the key space flight missions in China. This action of Chang'E-2 was begun at the farside of the Moon, and reqiure high accuracy of orbit control.
In the 100km x 15km orbit, Chang'E-2 is taking images for the Sinus Iridum, or Bay of Rainbows, where will be selected as the site for the soft landing of Chang'E-3. In the future several days, Chang'E-2 will obtain high resolution images of this regions. After taken photoes for Sinus Iridum, Chang'E-2 will go back to the 100km x 100km orbit, where it will stay for half a year to explore the lunar surface.
Engineers of Beijing Aerospace Command & Control Centre (BACC) have maneuvered Chang'E-2 into the 100km x 15km orbit in the night of 26, Oct, 2010 (Beijing Local Time). BACC is the commanding, decision-making and control centre of the key space flight missions in China. This action of Chang'E-2 was begun at the farside of the Moon, and reqiure high accuracy of orbit control.
In the 100km x 15km orbit, Chang'E-2 is taking images for the Sinus Iridum, or Bay of Rainbows, where will be selected as the site for the soft landing of Chang'E-3. In the future several days, Chang'E-2 will obtain high resolution images of this regions. After taken photoes for Sinus Iridum, Chang'E-2 will go back to the 100km x 100km orbit, where it will stay for half a year to explore the lunar surface.
Latest news - Chang-e 2 has been raised to its long term orbit and will now do more imaging and other mapping from that altitude. No more news on the low altitude results yet. I had assumed they would repeat the low altitude imaging elsewhere but apparently not, as Emily's reported email had also said. We'll learn more later... too bad it's so slow coming out.
Phil (still at the Cape hoping for a Friday launch, assuming Thursday will be prevented by bad weather)
Phil (still at the Cape hoping for a Friday launch, assuming Thursday will be prevented by bad weather)
Thanks for the update, Intrepid Correspondent, and best of luck on your launch!
Interesting. So have they completely ruled out any future low-alt passes now?
Interesting. So have they completely ruled out any future low-alt passes now?
The paper Chang'E-1 lunar mission: an overview and primary science results is available for free on the website Chinese Journal of Space Science. I am not sure that there is anything new in there
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/chin.../c_13596211.htm
Finally! A report with image and coordinates. No word on that rumor of an impact probe.
Phil
Finally! A report with image and coordinates. No word on that rumor of an impact probe.
Phil
Higher resolution versions of the same images here at People's Daily:
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90881/7191608.html
Phil
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90881/7191608.html
Phil
more images at a decent resolution
http://moon.bao.ac.cn/templates/T_yestem_a...p;contentid=190
yes, we definitely must add a drooling emoticon!
http://moon.bao.ac.cn/templates/T_yestem_a...p;contentid=190
yes, we definitely must add a drooling emoticon!
just found on a French forum, a series of amazing videos from CE2's monitoring cameras
Solar panels deployment
Orbit insertion maneuver
first orbit trim maneuver
second orbit trim maneuver
15 km periapsis
Solar panels deployment
Orbit insertion maneuver
first orbit trim maneuver
second orbit trim maneuver
15 km periapsis
Holy cow! Those are awesome!!
Really fascinating movies, thanks for sharing. I love the thruster glow...
Be sure to watch the first one until the end! I almost stopped once the panels deployed, but skipped ahead and then had to rewatch the whole thing again.
I really like the trend of "engineering" cameras such as these, Mars Express' VMC and Ikaros DCAMs!
I really like the trend of "engineering" cameras such as these, Mars Express' VMC and Ikaros DCAMs!
For some reason - none of those links work - (the entire domain doesn't exist at my end)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWHU4VMGDDM
However - that YouTube link contains all of them, I think
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWHU4VMGDDM
However - that YouTube link contains all of them, I think
there is also a commented video on the deployment of the HGA
http://news.cntv.cn/china/20101113/101677.shtml
if you can survive the pink tie of the anchorman...
http://news.cntv.cn/china/20101113/101677.shtml
if you can survive the pink tie of the anchorman...
Oh, WOW. Those were a real trip; very, very impressive!
Truly Awesome...
Slow em down a bit and add some 2001 music....
Wow
Craig
Slow em down a bit and add some 2001 music....
Wow
Craig
two papers (in Chinese, unfort.) on Chang'e 1 have been released in the Chinese Journal of Space Science
Mosaic of Lunar Image From CCD Stereo Camera Onboard Chang'E-1 Orbitor
Applications of the Visualization of Lunar Surface Based on Chang'E-1 Observations
Mosaic of Lunar Image From CCD Stereo Camera Onboard Chang'E-1 Orbitor
Applications of the Visualization of Lunar Surface Based on Chang'E-1 Observations
These are all really awesome, thanks! Has there been any more news on the planned landing for 2013? You know, sometimes I wonder why China, India, Russia, Europe, Brazil? etc. are undertaking all these expensive lunar missions...I mean its not like there's isnt already a lot of data out there from NASA and ESA. Do those countries just want their own set of data, but why? Is it a matter of trust? Or a matter of pride and accomplishment? A matter of "owning a piece of the moon"? I know, everyone tells us we live in the global age, bilateral and multilateral agreements, etc etc. But it makes you wonder if all the data gets shared freely or not.... Sorry if this is drifting off into politics.
It's about mastering the technology in preparation for bigger things in the future.
The landing in 2013 appears to be on track. A lander with a rover will land in Sinus Iridum. In about 2014 or 2015 a second lander and rover, perhaps with more autonomy, will land at another site. Then in about 2017 a sample return mission will be flown, and a year or two later a second sample return. That much is established, but human missions are being considered for about 2025 or slightly later.
Phil
The landing in 2013 appears to be on track. A lander with a rover will land in Sinus Iridum. In about 2014 or 2015 a second lander and rover, perhaps with more autonomy, will land at another site. Then in about 2017 a sample return mission will be flown, and a year or two later a second sample return. That much is established, but human missions are being considered for about 2025 or slightly later.
Phil
China announces the end of the Chang'e mission. Still no word of a possible extended mission in solar orbit
... or either of the other possible extended missions which have been discussed: return to Earth orbit or extended lunar operations ending in impact. The latter looks more likely to me.
Phil
Phil
of course an impact is more likely, but a solar mission would give them some experience in navigating and most of all communicating with a truly deep space probe. and that would be invaluable for Yinghuo when it reaches Mars next year.
True, but at the cost of additional lunar science.
You're right of course that the solar orbit option was mentioned, but so were the other two options. No word yet on which one will actually be used. There's also no word on whether or not the previously described impact probe on Chang-E 2 even exists.
Phil
You're right of course that the solar orbit option was mentioned, but so were the other two options. No word yet on which one will actually be used. There's also no word on whether or not the previously described impact probe on Chang-E 2 even exists.
Phil
Chang'e 2 may depart lunar orbit on June 16 for L2.
Reference: http://news.xinmin.cn/rollnews/2011/05/17/10777705.html (in Chinese)
Reference: http://news.xinmin.cn/rollnews/2011/05/17/10777705.html (in Chinese)
a nice article on the IEEE site: How China Plans To Send Robots To the Moon
QUOTE (yaohua2000 @ May 18 2011, 06:53 AM)
Chang'e 2 may depart lunar orbit on June 16 for L2.
Reference: http://news.xinmin.cn/rollnews/2011/05/17/10777705.html (in Chinese)
Reference: http://news.xinmin.cn/rollnews/2011/05/17/10777705.html (in Chinese)
Ok, so L2 is on the far side of the Moon. My [perhaps uninformed] question is how will they communicate with the spacecraft?
Article on Emily's blog: http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00003037/
L2 is not a point - it's a broad region, and the spacecraft orbit loosely around it, almost never hidden by the Moon. Right now NASA's ARTEMIS mission has two spacecraft, one orbiting L1 and one orbiting L2, waiting to go into lunar orbit in a few months for particles and fields studies.
Phil
Phil
From Emily's blog post
Several images are here.
QUOTE
In any case no images at all have ever been released from Chang'e 2 so even their quality is unknown.
Several images are here.
QUOTE (Hungry4info @ May 18 2011, 02:57 PM)
Several images are here.
I guess she meant to say no full resolution images have been released.Emily says in that post with the Chang'E 2 images that "... none of the versions of the images that I have found to be available online are anything close to their full stated resolution."
So the quality of any lunar map based on the originals is still unknown.
QUOTE (centsworth_II @ May 18 2011, 02:14 PM)
I guess she meant to say no full resolution images have been released.
Um, yeah, that's what I meant.
Actually, to be honest, I had totally forgotten about the release of any images, which is kind of shameful because I blogged them when they came out!
This is a guideline how you can apply for these datasets: http://www.clep.org.cn/index.asp?modelname...000&recno=6 (in Chinese)
Normal users can only download "processed data products" (level-3 datasets) by sign up at http://159.226.88.59:7779/CE1OutWeb/ . For those have cooperation with the program, they can apply for raw datasets (level 0,1,2).
Normal users can only download "processed data products" (level-3 datasets) by sign up at http://159.226.88.59:7779/CE1OutWeb/ . For those have cooperation with the program, they can apply for raw datasets (level 0,1,2).
QUOTE (Phil Stooke @ May 18 2011, 06:23 PM)
L2 is not a point - it's a broad region, and the spacecraft orbit loosely around it, almost never hidden by the Moon. Right now NASA's ARTEMIS mission has two spacecraft, one orbiting L1 and one orbiting L2, waiting to go into lunar orbit in a few months for particles and fields studies.
Phil
Phil
According to the current Aviation Week, it's going to the Sun-Earth L2 point, not the Earth-Moon one. As far as I understand the machine-translated original Chinese announcement, this is correct.
Thanks - that's useful. Same point is true about it bing a large zone rather than a point - in fact it's much larger! What will it do after that, I wonder? Return to Earth orbit or Lunar orbit? Or go further out?
Phil
Phil
In theory, L2 is in fact a point. However, spacecraft never actually 'sit'in this point, but move in large orbits ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_orbit ) around it. The point itself is dynamically unstable anyway (as opposed to the L4 and L5 points), so it would take effort to maintain your position there. In theory, halo orbits are stable, but in practise they get perturbed.
L2 could be compared to a body, like the Earth, around which objects can orbit. Although the the center of Earth's gravitational field is a point, many objects can orbit it. In the same way, although the center of L2's influence is a point, many objects can orbit it. (That's how I see it anyway.)
I'm kind of wondering why they're going there. Navigation practice is my best guess. Wonder if they ever considered trying for an NEO flyby (assuming that there are any that Chang'e 2 could reach)?
My guess is that it's just hitting the highway http://www.cds.caltech.edu/~shane/superhig...escription.html
Also check out the Genesis mission for this. http://www.whydomath.org/node/space/second...ci_genesis.html
Also check out the Genesis mission for this. http://www.whydomath.org/node/space/second...ci_genesis.html
Clementine was thinking along the same lines.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-08/...nt_13224280.htm
Oh my...
QUOTE
"This test will be very meaningful for China's future deep space exploration, as scientists are now discussing ideas of exploring Jupiter and the two poles of the Sun in the future,"
Oh my...
Scientists discussing something makes it far from certain that that something will actually ever happen. Sadly.
Just published in the latest issue of the Chinese Journal of Space Science the paper Research of lunar tectonic features: Primary results from Chang'E-1 lunar CCD image
the paper itself is in Chinese (but there is a nice English abstract) but it contains quite a few Chang'e 1 pictures that I had never seen before
the paper itself is in Chinese (but there is a nice English abstract) but it contains quite a few Chang'e 1 pictures that I had never seen before
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