[ad_1]
China has quietly released a new series of images provided by its Chang'e 4 lunar exploration mission. The rover, which has become the first mission ever to land on the other side of the moon, has some features of the lunar surface with unprecedented details.
China's mission has already gone as well as you wish, if not better. It became the first mission to make a soft landing on the dark side of the moon. It included geophysical studies of its landing surface and he was successfully growing potatoes and some other plants on the moon – another impressive first.
The Yutu 2 rover traveled a total of 178.9 meters, far exceeding the record of its predecessor, Yutu 1, during the Chang'e 3 mission, which managed to cover 114 meters. During his recent travels, the rover also photographed some of the photos he sent back to Earth, and some of these images have now been published by CNSA (National Space Administration).
The lunar surface, seen by the rover Yutu 2. Image: CLEP / CNSA.
The crater Von Kármán, close to the place where the vehicle sits, would contain an intriguing mix of chemical elements, including thorium, iron oxide and titanium dioxide, which could provide important indications on the origin and the evolution of the lunar surface. The researchers hope the mission will help answer questions about the characteristics of the crater surface and verify if the plants can grow in lunar soil.
The mission also observes a low frequency radio light from the Sun or beyond, impossible to detect on Earth, because many radio noises interfere with it.
The first traces of Yutu-2 after his descent from the LG Chang'e-4, visible at the top left. Image: CLEP / CNSA.
More recent tracks. Image: CLEP / CNSA.
The mobile is currently in hibernation mode until April 28th. He has survived for four lunar days and nights, about 29.5 days on Earth. He is still preparing for his fifth lunar night, although it is designed to last only three nights. All that is happening now is just a bonus for this already excellent mission. The rover also makes intermittent naps when facing the sun directly, while temperatures rise to 200 degrees Celsius.
Much of the scientific data collected has not yet been relayed to Earth. It will take several more weeks before everything is returned and a little more time to analyze it afterwards. In the meantime, we can all enjoy these sharp images.
[ad_2]
Source link