中国探月工程嫦娥四号探测器成功发射

China successfully launched Chang’e-4

北京时间12月8日凌晨2时23分,长征三号乙运载火箭成功发射嫦娥四号月球探测器。利用着陆器和探测器,它的主要任务是探索月球的远端,这是在地球上无法看到的一面。为了探索这一未知领域,第一个关键挑战是保证与地球上的控制器通信。为此,中国于5月21日发射了嫦娥四号中继卫星——鹊桥,作为传输信号与数据的桥梁。除了开展中国三所大学的三个科学试点项目外,该月球探测器还将成为全球月球研究合作的平台。该探测器将配备四个主要的科学有效载荷,由来自荷兰、德国、瑞典、沙特阿拉伯和中国的科学家共同开发。

China successfully launched the Chang’e-4 lunar probe aboard a Long March 3B rocket at 2:23 a.m. BJT on December 8. With a lander and rover, its key mission is to explore the far side of the Moon, a side not visible from the Earth.People have been admiring the Moon for thousands of years, but the mysteries there are about to get a lot closer. Blasting off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China’s Chang’e-4 lunar probe could be the first ever to soft-land on the far side of the Moon.The Moon’s far side, or dark side, is not visible from the Earth due to a phenomenon called tidal locking.To explore this uncharted area, the first key challenge was to guarantee communication with controllers on Earth. On May 21, China launched Chang’e-4’s relay satellite, Queqiao or Magpie Bridge, which serves as a perfect communication link.In addition to carrying out three scientific pilot projects developed by three Chinese universities, the rover will serve as a platform for global cooperation.The rover will be equipped with four major scientific payloads, which were jointly developed by scientists from the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and China.