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[sidebar: 'SOFT-POWER' is U$$ta$i clue, HARD-POWER China-Russia, Et Al, already did and IT didn't work so copying America, while America copies ITS' failure/s, how to spell TRUE 'MODERN' and not the 'ENDOCRINE BENT -DEGENERATE-LIBERALISM-FRAUD-MODERN' 'boy-goy-U$Gov-Puppet-POTUS'~~Meets ITS' true competition!]
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Photo
taken on Dec. 14, 2013 shows the lunar probe Chang'e-3 on the screen of
the Beijing Aerospace Control Center in Beijing, capital of China.
China's lunar probe Chang'e-3 has started soft-landing on the moon as it
began decelerating from 15 km above the lunar surface. (Xinhua/Li Xin) |
BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's lunar probe Chang'e-3, with the
country's first moon rover onboard, successfully landed on the moon on
Saturday night, marking the first time that China has sent a spacecraft
to soft land on the surface of an extraterrestrial body.
The lunar probe began to carry out soft-landing on the moon at 9 p.m.
Saturday and touched down in Sinus Iridum, or the Bay of Rainbows, 11
minutes later, according to Beijing Aerospace Control Center.
During the process, the probe decelerated from 15 km above the moon,
stayed hovering at 100 meters from the lunar surface to use sensors to
assess the landing area to avoid obstacles and locate the final landing
spot, and descended slowly onto the surface.
The success made China the third country, after the United States and the Soviet Union, to soft-land on the moon.
Compared to those other two countries, which have successfully
conducted 13 soft-landings on the moon, China's soft-landing mission
designed the suspension and obstacle-avoiding phases to survey the landing area much more precisely through fitted detectors, scientists said.
The probe's soft-landing is the most difficult task during the mission, said Wu Weiren, the lunar program's chief designer.
Chang'e-3 relied on auto-control for descent, range and velocity
measurements, finding the proper landing point, and free-falling.
The probe is equipped with shock absorbers in its four "legs" to
cushion the impact of the landing, making Chang'e-3 the first Chinese
spacecraft with "legs."
Chang'e-3 adopted a variable thrust engine completely designed and
made by Chinese scientists. It can realize continuous variation of
thrust power ranging from 1,500 to 7,500 newtons, according to Wu Weiren.
The soft-landing was carried out 12 days after the probe blasted off on an enhanced Long March-3B carrier rocket.
Chang'e-3 includes a lander and a moon rover called "Yutu" (Jade Rabbit).
Yutu's tasks include surveying the moon's geological structure and
surface substances and looking for natural resources. The lander will
operate there for one year while the rover will be there for three
months.
Chang'e-3 is part of the second phase of China's lunar program, which
includes orbiting, landing and returning to the Earth. It follows the
success of the Chang'e-1 and Chang'e-2 missions in 2007 and 2010.
The successful landing shows China has the ability of in-situ
exploration on an extraterrestrial body, said Sun Huixian, deputy
engineer-in-chief in charge of the second phase of China's lunar
program.
A renewed moon fever has sprung up in recent years following the lunar probe climax in the 1960s and 1970s.
Chang'e-3 is the world's first soft-landing of a probe on the moon in
nearly four decades. The last such soft-landing was carried out by the
Soviet Union in 1976.
"Compared to the last century's space race between the United States
and the former Soviet Union, mankind's current return to the moon is
more based on curiosity and exploration of the unknown universe," Sun
said.
"China's lunar program is an important component of mankind's
activities to explore peaceful use of space," according to the
engineer-in-chief.
For an ancient civilization like China, landing on the moon embodies
another meaning. The moon, a main source for inspiration, is one of the
most important themes in Chinese literature and ancient Chinese myths,
including that about Chang'e, a lady who took her pet "Yutu" to fly
toward the moon, where she became a goddess.
"Though people have discovered that the moon is bleached and
desolate, it doesn't change its splendid role in Chinese traditional
culture," said Zhang Yiwu, a professor with Peking University.
"Apart from scientific exploration, the lunar probe is a response to
China's traditional culture and imagination. China's lunar program will
proceed with the beautiful legends," Zhang said.
"I am so excited about the news. It carries my space dream," a
netizen "Roger-Kris" posted on the Sina Weibo. "I am now so interested
in space and I want to study science when I go to college."
"I am looking forward to seeing more pictures sent back by Chang'e-3," he said.
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NSA can't compete with the Rising Dragon, that's the way IT is with the subterranean that choose to be sub-human and not reach for the Moon & Billions of Stars
ReplyDeleteAs the American 'Gov-Global-U$$ta$i reaches for spatulas and throws Journalists in prison for telling the HOLY truth, the MOON welcomes the Draco in the skies already with the real IT of Century 21
ReplyDeleteJUST U$ THINK!
ReplyDeleteRETIREMENT PORTFOLIOS COULD BE FILLED WITH REAL STARS IN OUR FUTURE AND NOT HOLLY WOOD ARTIFICIAL DRESS UP SUBTERRANEAN HUMAN FILTH