China’s space probe has arrived at the lunar orbit and will soon land in the moon’s surface-- the Bay of Rainbows.
The Chinese Chang'e 3 lunar mission was launched 4:30 p.m EST Sunday from south of Xichang and travelled for almost five days until it finally arrived at the moon’s orbit at 4:53 am EST Friday, according to SpaceFlight.com.
The Long March rocket that carries the lander and robotic rover is expected to reach its destination located in the northern part of the moon by mid-December. It will land on Sinus Iridum, Latin phrase for “Bay of Rainbows”, a volcanic plain that has less rock concentration which makes it a perfect landing area.
The lander carries high-recognition terrain sensors that allow the mission’s guidance computer to retrieve information, which is very critical in avoiding hazards such as large boulders and steep slopes.
The 140-kilogram (308 lbs) Yutu rover, also known as Jade Rabbit, has ground-penetrating radar that can collect quantitative data from the lunar soil and crust. According to Chang'e 3 spokesperson Pei Zhaoyu in a Xinhua report, the lunar rover has the capacity to gather data from the moon’s crust and sophisticated spectrometers that identifies the soil and rock compositions as it roams around the lunar surface.
It is equipped with several cameras and telescope to gather lunar images. It also has an optical telescope for its space observations and four wide-view navigation cameras that will capture high-resolution lunar images.
It also bears plutonium238-content RHUs or radioisotope heating units that will allow the spacecraft to maintain warm temperatures during the cold evenings. Based on the Space Review coverage by space researcher Dwayne Day, the plutonium-238 is the usually desired power resource for space missions.
Now at an altitude of approximately 100 km or 60 miles, the Chang'e 3 will fall slowly on the Bay of Rainbows after firing its main engine. And within a few feet, its lander will stop its engine and let its shock-absorbent legs to soften the force of landing.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), which supports the Chinese lunar mission through tracking antennae and corresponding communications, the spacecraft will probably land by December 14. After few hours of its landing, the Yutu rover will begin its probe on the lunar surface to fulfill its objectives.
