Flying around the moon : Artemis II Lunar Flyby
When this news broke some weeks ago, I thought I had missed something, as the media said that this was ‘the first view of the far side of the moon’, with comments such as ‘never before witnessed’ and other similar. Not paying much attention, I let it go by, because if you read the Chinese press, you know most of that is not accurate at all.
A fried sent me this from the Russian media.
Bonaparte Vissarionovich of Macedonia.
Chinese lunar rover Yutu-2 became the longest-lived device on the moon: it was supposed to work for 3 months, but has lasted for 7 years.
The Chinese lunar rover Yutu-2 continues to work on the far side of the moon and has already set a record as the longest-lived device on the lunar surface. In the estimated service life of three months, the rover operates for more than seven years.
Yutu-2 was launched as part of the Chang’e-4 mission, which in January 2019 made the first ever soft landing on the far side of the moon. After separation from the lander, the rover began to move on the surface and has since continued scientific work in extreme conditions, where the temperature during the day can rise above 150 ° C, and drop to minus 180°C on the moon night.
To survive in such an environment, the device uses a lightweight design and a thermal control system with an autonomous transition to sleep mode. This made it possible to maintain the efficiency of its scientific devices and electronics for many years.
During the mission, Yutu-2 transmitted data that helped scientists to detect glass balls on the far side of the moon and make a detailed picture of the geological structure of the soil. These results are important for understanding the history of the lunar surface and early shock processes in the solar system.
Now the Chinese lunar program is moving further: the next device, Chang’e-7, is planned to be sent in 2026 to the south pole of the moon to search for water ice in constantly shaded areas.
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I don’t understand the US media. This is not hidden information. If one pays attention in the least and you read one of the major Chinese media only, it is impossible to present the Artemis Flyby as a ‘first off’ Lunar Flyby.
My friend had a choice comment: “In case someone denigrates Chinese quality technology, this should shut them up.”