By Elton Gomes
China has launched a rover to the far side of the moon in a bid to become the worlds first nation to explore the “dark side” of the moon.
Chinas Chang’e-4 lunar probe mission blasted off on a Long March 3B rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China in the early hours on Saturday, according to Xinhua news agency.
The rover is expected to land around the New Year, and will conduct experiments and explore the untrodden terrain.
The probe is carrying six experiments from China and four from abroad. They include low-frequency radio astronomical studies, which aim to take advantage of the lack of interference on the far side. The probe will also conduct mineral tests and experiments planting potato and other seeds.
If the mission is successful, Chang’e 4 will make history as it will be the first mission to land on the far side of the moon. The mission consists of a stationary lander and a rover. It is expected to perform a variety of science work and plant a flag for humanity in a region that remains largely unexplored to date.
What is the rover’s mission?
The Chang’e 4 will conduct the first lunar low-frequency radio astronomy experiment, observe whether plants will grow in the low-gravity environment on the moon, and also explore whether there is water or other resources at the moons poles. The mission also aims to study the interaction between solar winds and the moon surface using a new rover.
“Since the far side of the moon is shielded from electromagnetic interference from the Earth, it’s an ideal place to research the space environment and solar bursts, and the probe can ‘listen’ to the deeper reaches of the cosmos,” said Tongjie Liu, deputy director of the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center for the China National Space Administration, CNN reported.
What we know about the dark side of the moon?
Unlike the near side of the moon that is “tidally locked” and always faces the earth, besides offering many flat areas to touch down on, the far side is mountainous and rugged.
It was not until 1959 that the erstwhile Soviet Union captured the first images of the heavily cratered far side of the moon. The images captures gave a glimpse of what the moon’s “dark side” looked like.
No lander or rover has ever landed on the surface there, thus China could be the first nation to explore the terrain.
The biggest challenge will be establishing communication with the far side of the moon, since it is unreachable by direct signal and invisible from Earth, said professor Ouyang Ziyuan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the chief scientist of the China Lunar Exploration Plan. “We will be like deaf and blind,” he said, AFP reported.
As a solution, China in May blasted the Queqiao (“Magpie Bridge”) satellite into the moon’s orbit, and positioned it in such a way that it can relay data and commands between the lander and earth.
The Chang’e 4s signals will likely be coming from the floor of the Von Kármán Crater. The Von Kármán Crater is a 115-mile-wide (186 kilometers) hole on the moons surface it is also the mission’s expected landing site.
China eyeing private space industry
China is looking to assert its dominance in the space industry, as it is increasing bets on private space companies. China is leading among countries looking to expand market share in the nascent industry during the third quarter, as per a report from Space Angels, an investing firm specializing in private space ventures.
Chinese space companies drew a total of $69 million of investment in the third quarter this amount was more than any other country at that time. In 2018, China has already invested $217 million in space companies, almost matching the $230 million invested in all of 2017.
Of the $16.1 billion invested in private space companies and partnerships since 2009, China now represents three percent, with about half a billion dollars.
Furthermore, Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022, and of eventually sending humans to the moon.
Chang’e-4 will be the second Chinese space mission to land on the moon after the Yutu (“Jade Rabbit”) rover mission in 2013.
Moreover, Beijing is planning to send another lander to the moon, the Chang’e-5. The new mission is expected to take off next year to collect samples and bring them back to earth.
The Chang’e-5 is among several ambitious Chinese targets. Some of these plans include a reusable launcher by 2021, a super-powerful rocket capable of delivering payloads heavier than those NASA and SpaceX can handle, a moon base, a permanently crewed space station, and a Mars rover.
Elton Gomes is a staff writer at Qrius