China launches survey this year to taste the moon

BEIJING (Reuters) – China will launch a probe to take samples of the moon towards the end of the year, a space manager in space announced on Monday, a few days after the launch. from a Chinese probe to the bottom of the moon.

The Chinese probe Chang-e-4 landed on the moon on January 3 and sent the first close-up image of the hidden face of the planet.

The National Space Administration hailed the order as the first of its kind and declared that it "removes the veil of mystery" from the other side of the moon and constitutes a major achievement of the ambitious national space program.

The Chang-ah-4 missions include astronomical observations, the study of rocky terrain and composition of the moon, the measurement of neutron radiation and neutral atoms to study the environment of the moon. other side of the moon.

Zhang Ah-5's mission, which is expected to take samples from the moon's side, will take place at the end of the year and Beijing will send another probe to Mars by 2020, said Wu Yanhua, Vice President of the Department of Space, in a press release according to official extracts online.

The Chang-ah-5 mission will pave the way for sending other probes to the South Pole of the Moon and will eventually return samples on the other side, depending on the results that will be achieved when the next mission, Wu said.

He noted that future tests by the missions could pave the way for building on the planet's surface through the experience of techniques such as three-dimensional printing or the use of 3D techniques. use of lunar soil in construction.

"China, the United States, Russia, European countries and others are looking to build a base or research station on the moon," he said.

The Moon turns around the Earth at the same speed as the Earth, which means that most of its far side or dark side is still invisible to us. The probe has already explored the outside of the planet but has not landed on it.

China has made space exploration a priority in recent years by catching up with Russia and the United States to become a major space power by 2030. It plans to start building an inhabited space station in China. 39 next year.

(Reuters)