From now on, China is the third country to which the spacecraft made a soft landing on the lunar surface. It happened on Saturday December 14, 2013 at 13:11 GMT.
Thus, the Chinese authorities have kept their word and, as previously expected , brought lunar lander vehicle “Chang’e-3”, and is in its cargo bay moonwalker “Yuytu” (Moon Hare), in an area called Rainbow Bay. Should clarify that the rover was launched on the moon’s surface in seven hours from the time of the landing, which needed to charge the batteries, placed on board “Yuytu.”
Resource Gizmag notes that the boarding process began after the “Chang’e-3” was released on the lowest point of its orbit (about 15 km above the lunar surface). In the process of reducing to around 2 km above the surface of the machine slowed to 1.7 km / s to zero. The control of “Chang’e-3” was transferred to the automated system, which carried out a landing in several stages. Initially, at an altitude of 100 m above the surface by means of lasers and cameras “Chang’e-3” was 3D-map of the intended landing site, examining all potential threats and landscape. Another small air hang apparatus for the purpose of additional cross-checking the landing was made at a height of 30 m above the surface. After this “Chang’e-3” down to a height of 4 m, disabled jet engines and landed on the lunar surface.
According to the plan the mission, moonwalker “Yuytu” which is powered by two solar panels, within three months will be to explore the lunar surface by the instruments installed on board. At the same time the lander “Chang’e-3” will conduct research for at least one year.
It should be noted that the procedure for landing “Chang’e-3” and drop “Yuytu” channel CCTV broadcast in real time, as the propagation delay of radio signals between the Moon and the Earth is less than 2 seconds.
As the resource Engadget , just one day after landing on the moon rover “Yuytu” sent to Earth more than 4.5 thousand pictures. Unfortunately, there were only released some of them.
By the way, past the moon landing was carried out in the framework of missions Apollo 17 in 1972, and Luna 24 in 1976.
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