from the And-if-the-band-you're-in-starts-playing-different-tunes dept.
China's space agency has taken a critical first step toward an unprecedented robotic landing on the far side of the Moon. On Monday, local time, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation launched a Long March 4C rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Although it did not broadcast the launch, the Chinese space agency said it went smoothly, according to the state news service Xinhua.
"The launch is a key step for China to realize its goal of being the first country to send a probe to soft-land on and rove the far side of the Moon," Zhang Lihua, manager of the relay satellite project, told Xinhua.
About 25 minutes after the launch, the Queqiao spacecraft separated from the rocket's upper stage, and began a trip toward a halo orbit of the Earth-Moon Lagrange Point L2. Over the next six months, the 425kg spacecraft will undergo tests to ensure it will function properly as a communications relay.
[...] Of note, the Queqiao spacecraft—which means Magpie bridge and is a reference to Chinese folklore—will also carry two scientific instruments. One is a Dutch radio antenna, which will study celestial radio frequencies blocked by Earth's atmosphere. The other instrument is a large-aperture laser angle reflector for ranging measurements between Earth and the spacecraft.
The relay spacecraft should reach its L2 halo orbit in about eight days.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday May 22 2018, @06:27PM (1 child)
Apollo put those on the moon's surface, too... they're a lot like this:
http://www.lfsmarineoutdoor.com/davis-standard-echomaster-radar-reflector-152.html [lfsmarineoutdoor.com]
but shiny.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 22 2018, @07:10PM
The Apollo retroreflectors look different, but the principle is the same. Photos:
http://tmurphy.physics.ucsd.edu/apollo/lrrr.html [ucsd.edu]
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday May 22 2018, @06:28PM
take some Gary Larson comics and some Pink Floyd with them.
Just sayin', dammit.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Grishnakh on Tuesday May 22 2018, @06:32PM (5 children)
Since the US just canceled its Moon rover program, someone might as well do this cool science work. As the old saying goes, "shit or get off the pot".
(Score: 4, Funny) by Gaaark on Tuesday May 22 2018, @06:39PM (3 children)
The US is too busy getting ON the pot, lol.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 4, Touché) by bob_super on Tuesday May 22 2018, @06:47PM
Is "the pot" also the codename for "Netanyahu's Trump's US war in Iran" ? Because that's what the rest of the country is getting on.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 22 2018, @07:43PM
About time, I almost wish we could make it mandatory and chill out the 1/3 of the population that's ready to pop a vein.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday May 22 2018, @09:55PM
Dude, that's like.... a metaphor or something....
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.
.
.
.
Wow, have you looked at your hands? No, like, I mean really looked at them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 22 2018, @10:57PM
There are mounds of surface samples collected fifty years ago that are yet to be analyzed and studied.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 23 2018, @11:24AM
... Trump is arming the Clangers.