China aims to be first to land probe on moon's far side

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In summary, China's ambitious space program plans to be the first to land a lunar probe on the moon's far side. This would be a historic achievement, as no one has done so before. However, communications may prove to be a challenge, as deep space communication equipment is not able to communicate with the far side of the moon. Additionally, the possibility of encountering unknown dangers, as seen in the book "2010: Odyssey Two," adds to the risk of this mission.
  • #1
PF_SpaceNews
China aims to be first to land probe on moon's far side

China's increasingly ambitious space program plans to attempt the first-ever landing of a lunar probe on the moon's far side, a leading engineer said.

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  • #2
I wasn't aware that no one had landed a probe on the far side of the Moon before.
 
  • #3
Drakkith said:
I wasn't aware that no one had landed a probe on the far side of the Moon before.
Are communications more difficult?
 
  • #4
Greg Bernhardt said:
Are communications more difficult?

I assume so. I don't think any of our deep space communication equipment can talk with the far side of the Moon, but I'm not certain.
 
  • #5
You need an orbiter around Moon. In principle probes at the Earth/Sun Lagrangian points or around the Earth/Moon L2 would work as well, but the larger distance means the data rate goes down, and I'm not aware of satellites there designed for such a task.

Interplanetary communication (e. g. with probes on Mars) works well with a huge antenna on Earth, but a satellite-to-satellite communication like that would give a negligible data rate.
 
  • #6
PF_SpaceNews said:
China's increasingly ambitious space program

Did anyone read the book, 2010: Odyssey Two? By Arthur C. Clarke? I did. I actually claim that the movie adaptation with Roy Scheider (1984) is my favorite movie of all time (I always wanted to be Heywood Floyd with the hot Oceanographer wife and the dolphin pool inside my kitchen), with the movie "Pi" (1998) coming in a close second.

In any case, Arthur had the prescience to have a spot in the book (if my memory serves correct) where the Chinese beat us to the first landing on Europa, only to be greeted by creepy, black tentacles emerging through cracks in the ice to suck them down underneath that icy crust. Of course, their radio communications got abruptly interrupted. I don't know if Europa has an atmosphere, but I hear that in space, "no one can hear you scream." :H

Let's just hope that the Chinese don't encounter this same fate on the dark side of the moon...
 

1. What is China's goal in landing a probe on the moon's far side?

China's goal is to become the first country to successfully land a probe on the moon's far side. This would be a significant achievement in space exploration and demonstrate China's growing capabilities in the field.

2. What is the far side of the moon?

The far side of the moon, also known as the "dark side" of the moon, is the hemisphere of the moon that is always facing away from Earth. It is not actually dark, but it is called the far side because it is not visible from Earth due to the moon's synchronous rotation.

3. How does China's mission to the far side of the moon differ from previous missions?

Previous missions to the moon have focused on the near side, which is the side facing Earth. China's mission will be the first to land on the far side, which has never been explored by a spacecraft before. This will provide new insights and data about the moon's geology and potential for future human exploration.

4. What challenges does China face in landing a probe on the moon's far side?

Landing on the moon's far side presents several challenges, such as the lack of direct communication with Earth and the need to develop new technologies for navigation and communication. The terrain on the far side is also more rugged and unexplored, making it more difficult to find a suitable landing site.

5. When is China's mission to the far side of the moon expected to take place?

China's mission, named Chang'e-4, is expected to launch in late 2018. If successful, it will be the first soft landing on the far side of the moon and the first mission to explore this uncharted territory.

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