China lands probe on far side of moon, state TV says

A Chinese lunar rover has achieved a global first that boosts Beijing’s ambitions to become a space superpower | VIDEO

China has won the race to the next frontier, landing a vehicle on the far side of the moon for the first time in history and boosting Beijing’s ambitions of becoming a space superpower.

The Chang’e-4 probe touched down and sent a photo of the so-called dark side of the moon to the Queqiao satellite, which will relay communications to controllers on Earth, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Beijing is pouring billions of dollars into its military-run space program, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022.

The Chang’e-4 lunar probe mission, named after the moon goddess in Chinese mythology, launched in December from the southwestern Xichang launch centre. It is the second Chinese probe to land on the moon, following the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover mission in 2013.

The achievement is a major milestone in China’s bid to become the global leader in the space race, with the China ­National Space Administration claiming the landing had “opened a new chapter in ­humanity’s exploration of the moon”.

The last US mission to the moon was the Apollo 17 landing in December 1972, but NASA ­officials last year flagged their ­intention to return American ­astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2024.

This photo provided by China’s national space administration is the first image of the moon's far side taken by China's Chang'e-4 probe. Picture: AP

Unlike the near side of the moon, which offers many flat areas to touch down on, the far side is mountainous and rugged. The moon is “tidally locked” to Earth in its rotation so the same side is always facing Earth.

Chang’e-4 is carrying six experiments from China and four from abroad, including low-­frequency radio astronomical studies — aiming to take advantage of the lack of interference on the far side of the moon.

The rover will also conduct mineral and radiation tests, the China National Space Administration has said, according to state news agency Xinhua.

It was not until 1959 that the Soviet Union captured the first images of the moon’s mysterious and heavily cratered “dark side”.

It is a huge step for China’s space aspirations. Picture: Supplied

No lander or rover has previously touched the surface there and it is no easy technological feat. A major challenge for such a mission was communicating with the robotic lander: as there is no direct “line of sight” for signals to the far side of the moon.

As a solution, China in May blasted the Queqiao (“Magpie Bridge”) satellite into the moon’s orbit, positioning it so that it could relay data and commands ­between the lander and Earth.

In another extreme hurdle, during the lunar night, which lasts 14 Earth days, temperatures drop to as low as minus 173C. During the lunar day, also lasting 14 Earth days, temperatures soar as high as 127C. The rover’s instruments have to withstand those fluctuations and has to generate enough energy to sustain it during the long night.

China’s mission control. Picture: Supplied

Adding to the difficulties, Chang’e-4 was sent to the Aitken Basin in the lunar south pole region, known for its craggy and complex terrain, state media said.

Yutu also conquered those challenges and, after initial setbacks, ultimately surveyed the moon’s surface for 31 months. Its success provided a major boost to China’s space program.

Beijing is planning to send another lunar lander, Chang’e-5, next year to collect samples.

It is among a slew of ambitious Chinese targets, which include a reusable launcher by 2021, a super-powerful rocket capable of delivering payloads heavier than those NASA and private rocket firm SpaceX can handle, a moon base, a permanently crewed space station and a Mars rover.

AFP