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CONCEPT – FAR SIDE OF THE MOON
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- What is Chang’e-4 mission? The Chang’e-4 mission is part of the second phase of China’s lunar program, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. It follows the success of the Chang’e-1, Chang’e-2 and Chang’e-3 missions in 2007, 2010 and 2013. The launch mass of Chang’e-4 spacecraft was around 3,780 kg, while the lander has a mass of around 1,200 kg and the rover has a mass of 140 kg.
- Elements of the mission : The mission is composed of two distinct elements: the lander and the rover. The lander is equipped with a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to power the lunar operations during the three-month mission. The energy will be used to power the scientific payload of seven instruments and cameras. The lunar rover will explore the lunar surface after departing the lander and is equipped with a solar panel to power the vehicle during the lunar day on a three month mission. With 1.5 m high, the rover has a payload capacity of 20 kg, the rover will be capable of real time video transmission and will also be able to dig and perform simple analysis of soil samples.
- Details : The rover carries the panoramic camera (PCAM) to obtain three-dimensional images of the landing and patrolling lunar surface for investigation of surface morphology and geological structure, the Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) for surveying the lunar sub-surface structure to investigate surface morphology and geological structure, the Visible and Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS) for patrol area lunar surface infrared spectroscopy and imaging exploration to survey lunar surface material composition and available resources.
- International payload : There are also three international joint collaboration payloads installed on the Chang’e−4 explorer, which are the Lunar Lander Neutrons and Dosimetry (LND) installed on the lander and developed in Germany, the Advanced Small Analyzer for Neutrals (ASAN) installed on the rover for observations of energy-neutral atoms and positive ions in patrol area to investigate the particle radiation environment in the patrol area, and the Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE) installed on the relay satellite Queqiao. The LFS is newly developed for Chang’e−4 lander, and another five kinds of payloads are the inherited instruments from Chang’e−3.
- What will LFS do? The LFS will be used for the detection of low-frequency radio frequency characteristics of the sun and the moon’s low-frequency radio environment to perform low-frequency radio astronomy observations. The LFS is used for detecting the low-frequency electric field of the solar storm and to study the Lunar plasma. By detecting the low-frequency electric field from the Sun, the planetary space and the galactic space, the information of electric magnitude, phase, time variance, frequency spectrum, polarization and DoA (Direction of Arrivals) are collected for analysis. With features of variation of the spatial low-frequency electric field, the Lunar plasma environment above the landing site will be analyzed.
- Studying the Universe : The astronomical observation of radio waves is one of the most effective methods to study and understand the universe. At present, most portion of the spectrum has been detected, such as ultraviolet wave, radio wave (wavelength less than meters), X-ray (), infrared and millimeter wave and Gamma-ray. But no myriametric wave (<30 MHz) has been detected yet. The detection of myriametric wave is of much importance for all-sky imaging obtained by continuous sky scanning of discrete radio source, cosmic dark times study (21 cm radiation in dark times), solar physics, space weather, extreme-high-energy cosmic ray and neutrino study.
- Problems at Earth : Interfered by ionosphere and Earth radio waves, it is impossible to detect myriametric wave on the Earth. In earlier times, wave detection satellites are RAE-A/B (NASA). RAE-A was launched in 1968 and operated in near-Earth orbit. Its scientific objective was to detect the intensity of cosmic ray (0.2–20 MHz). But it was interfered by radio waves in Earth orbit. RAE-B was launched in 1973 and was injected into the lunar orbit, whose scientific objective was to detect the long-wavelength radio waves (working frequency 25 kHz–13.1 MHz). It demonstrated that the lunar far side is ideal for myriametric wave detection. At present, low-frequency radio detection was mainly achieved via spacecraft operating in circumlunar orbit by foreign countries but none of them has done this on the Lunar surface.
- More understanding : The exploration of Change’4 will further promote people’s understanding of the far side of the Moon. With a comprehensive analysis and study on the nearside exploration data, more general understanding about the Moon will be obtained and the reliability of a theoretical system will be increased.
- China’s Long March to the Moon : It started in 1998 when the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (COSTIND) began planning the lunar mission, the tackling major scientific and technological problems. The lunar orbiter project was formally established in January 2004 and the next month the program is named “Project Chang’e” after a mythical Chinese goddess who flew to the Moon.
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