Australian Broadcast Corporation:
It is the first time a soft landing has been performed on the Moon's far side — also known as the dark side because it faces away from earth and remains comparatively unknown — due to challenges relaying signals.
The Chang'e 4 spacecraft touched down at 10:26am local time, the official China Central Television said.
Chang'e 4 is a lander-rover combination and will explore both above and below the lunar surface.
Some of the experiments aboard will investigate the Moon's potential to support future space travellers.
One of those experiments is a biosphere project, which includes silkworm eggs, thale cress and potato seeds.
If it goes to plan, the ecosystem would be self-sustaining, with the silkworms germinating the potatoes and popping out caterpillars. These would in turn produce carbon dioxide, helping the plants grow as a food source.
Also at BBC, The Guardian, and CNN.
YASM means 'Yet Another Sputnik Moment'
Related Stories
A panorama from the dark side of the moon is now available from China's Chang'e 4 Lander.
China made history earlier this month with the first successful soft landing on the far side of the moon — and now, the mission has sent back an incredible panorama view of its work site.
The image is available in hi-res here.
The mission consists of two robots: the Chang'e 4 lander and the Yutu 2 rover. Since their arrival on Jan. 2, both have been exploring the lunar surface inside Von Kármán Crater, a 115-mile-wide (186 kilometers) feature
Putting this into units Soylentils are comfortable with, this is approximately 1049 Ice Hockey rinks across.
The Yutu 2 rover is visible not far away in the panorama, but is currently not active as it hibernates through the long Lunar day, during which temperatures can reach an electronics damaging 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius).
High temperature electronics can be done, but presumably making them also function at low temperatures (-173 degrees Celsius at night) presents challenges that were not worth overcoming and the decision was made to survive one extreme and operate in the other.
Previously: China is About to Make Humankind's First Visit to the Far Side of the Moon
China's Chang'e 4 Spacecraft Lands on the Far Side of the Moon
China's Moon mission sees first seeds sprout
Seeds taken up to the Moon by China's Chang'e-4 mission have sprouted, says China National Space Administration. It marks the first time any biological matter has grown on the Moon, and is being seen as a significant step towards long-term space exploration. [...] Plants have been grown on the International Space Station before but never on the Moon.
[...] The Chinese Moon lander was carrying among its cargo soil containing cotton and potato seeds, yeast and fruit fly eggs. The plants are in a sealed container on board the lander. The crops will try to form a mini biosphere - an artificial, self-sustaining environment.
[...] On Tuesday, Chinese state media said the cotton seeds had now grown buds. The ruling Communist Party's official mouthpiece the People's Daily tweeted an image of the sprouted seed, saying it marked "the completion of humankind's first biological experiment on the Moon".
Fred Watson, Australian Astronomical Observatory's astronomer-at-large, told the BBC the development was "good news". "It suggests that there might not be insurmountable problems for astronauts in future trying to grow their own crops on the moon in a controlled environment."
According to SCMP, a similar biosphere experiment will be conducted on Earth for comparison.
A Chang'e-5 lunar exploration vehicle could be launched by the end of 2019, and would include a 2 kg sample return. At least 3 more Chang'e missions are planned.
Previously: China's Chang'e 4 Spacecraft Lands on the Far Side of the Moon
Chang'e Lander Sends Back Far Side Panorama
(Score: 3, Insightful) by acid andy on Thursday January 03 2019, @02:48PM (2 children)
I hope this biosphere experiment is well-planned and not just a PR stunt. I'm wondering how it will ensure correct hydration. I suppose at the right temperatures and humidity, the plants will transpire and water vapor will condense on the inside of the sphere and drip back down. I would have thought they'd have to burn energy to regulate the temperature inside the biosphere--maybe a solar powered air conditioner?
If a cat has kittens, does a rat have rittens, a bat bittens and a mat mittens?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 03 2019, @04:11PM (1 child)
Or, maybe the next time someone goes to the far side of the moon, it will be all covered in cobwebs from the silk worms...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 03 2019, @05:38PM
Giant Mutant Silk Worms...with lasers.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by sgleysti on Thursday January 03 2019, @02:50PM (2 children)
Pink Floyd's album "Dark Side of the Moon" is arguably more popular than astronomy.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Thursday January 03 2019, @03:19PM
"The dark side" sounds so much cooler. I expect we'll meet a lot of interesting people on the dark side of the moon. Darth Vader, Batman, and so many more. The Grim Reaper, maybe?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 03 2019, @05:11PM
There is no dark side of the Moon. As a matter of fact, it's all dark.
(Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Thursday January 03 2019, @04:06PM (2 children)
(Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon, track:Eclipse)
--
"Phonetically" doesn't even start with an f.
Crap like that is why aliens fly right by us.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 03 2019, @05:16PM (1 child)
Regarding your signature, you might like this book [boredpanda.com].
(Score: 2) by fyngyrz on Thursday January 03 2019, @05:34PM
In return, I offer The Gorey Alphabet [amazon.com], which, IMHO, is the Best Alphabet Book Evar. I'd go seriously fishing on Ebay if I didn't already own a copy.
Some samples can be viewed here. [cooperhewitt.org]
--
Patience: What you exercise when there are too many witnesses.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 03 2019, @04:18PM (2 children)
So, did they try the self-sustaining part on Earth? How did it go under simulated conditions? Any link to their research?
If they haven't or they have without success, then it's pointless stunt.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Thursday January 03 2019, @11:15PM
Traditionally life science experiments in space are mirrored by a control group on Earth to see what happens differently in the new environment. Data about the control and experiment group will be published, but in all likelihood you won't be able to read it unless you know Mandarin.
For those not familiar with China's space program they also have space stations, landed a rover (Jade Rabbit) on the light side of the moon in Chang'e 3, and (unlike the US) have an operational manned spaceflight capability.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @03:09AM
What would be their motivation to share that research?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 03 2019, @07:48PM (2 children)
To call this a Sputnik moment, or even worse, Yet Another that suggests there are a number of other such moments, really shows one's ignorance of what the real Sputnik moment was and meant.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday January 04 2019, @03:06AM (1 child)
Do you know any other direct experiment in the area of 'living on other planets'? Please share.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 04 2019, @06:42PM
Do you know of any examples from the current zeitgeist of fear and apprehension that we're losing the space race because of this? Is this really a single simplifying event that is captured in all the news "above the fold" that is shocking the world? Can you provide ANY evidence that anyone in the general news or public is surprised or cares about this in any other context besides "hey, that's pretty cool"?
You prove the point that you clearly don't know what a "Sputnik moment" is. It doesn't mean "do something that hasn't been done before". And to say "yet another", which implies that there are these series of these moments, also proves the point. "Sputnik moments" are not incremental advancements, they are societal-changing events, and this is not a societal-changing event.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 03 2019, @08:08PM
You get: Cheech and Chong cover Pink Floyd