国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

China / Society

Lunar rover is 'awake' but faults continue

By Zhao Lei (China Daily) Updated: 2014-07-21 07:34

China's first lunar rover, Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, is still "alive" despite the malfunction of some of its equipment, according to a senior space scientist.

"Yutu has been woken up after the past dormancy, but the problems still exist," Wu Weiren, chief designer of China's lunar probe project, told Xinhua News Agency in Hong Kong.

Wu was to attend an exhibition set to open on Monday in Hong Kong that features the achievements China has made in its lunar exploration project.

He said the rover will embrace its eighth "working day", which is about 14 Earth days, in an abnormal state caused by mechanical failures, noting that "fortunately, the rover has completed its designated scientific and engineering tasks".

During the lunar night, there is no sunlight to provide power to Yutu's solar panel, and the extremely low temperatures would damage its delicate electronics, so the rover must "hibernate".

The 140-kilogram, six-wheeled Yutu, part of the Chang'e-3 lunar probe, has outlived its designed lifespan of three months since it reached the moon in mid-December. Using its scientific apparatus, the rover has analyzed major elements on the lunar surface and studied mineral resources.

However, after nearly six weeks of operation, the moon buggy reported a mechanical control problem on Jan 25 before entering its second dormancy.

Since then, it has been unable to move any farther, remaining about 20 meters southwest of where it landed. The antenna and solar panels cannot be folded, either.

Chinese engineers blamed the problem on the "complicated lunar surface environment".

Related news

Earlier launch possible for space station modules

Moon rover designer looks to Mars

Zhang Yuhua, deputy head of Yutu's design team, said experts have concluded that the rover was probably damaged by large rocks when it was moving. She said the landing site's environment was even worse than scientists had expected.

It has become virtually impossible to resolve the mechanical failures, given that many parts on Yutu have approached the end of their designed lifespan, Zhang said.

The Chang'e-3 probe, which landed on the moon on Dec 14, is part of the second phase of China's current lunar program that includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. It follows the success of the Chang'e-1 mission in 2007 and Chang'e-2 mission in 2010.

Chinese scientists and engineers are now focusing on the third step of the program, namely landing on the moon and returning to Earth with samples extracted from the surface, Wu said.

The mission will be conducted by the Chang'e-5 probe around 2020, he said, adding that Chang'e-5 will be transported by the nation's first heavy-lift rocket, the Long March-5, in the new launch center at Wenchang on the island province of Hainan.

Development of the Long March-5 and the construction of the Wenchang launch center are faring well, according to Liu Jianzhong, deputy designer of the lunar program's rocket system.

Contact the writer at zhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn

Highlights
Hot Topics
...
眉山市| 汶川县| 南部县| 高陵县| 南投县| 大方县| 治县。| 齐齐哈尔市| 于田县| 县级市| 兴文县| 定陶县| 南开区| 大渡口区| 南城县| 邮箱| 宜良县| 沭阳县| 墨玉县| 晋江市| 九龙城区| 新宁县| 沽源县| 龙川县| 旅游| 开江县| 定襄县| 中江县| 苏尼特左旗| 九台市| 壤塘县| 徐水县| 古田县| 宣汉县| 隆化县| 虞城县| 麻栗坡县| 和林格尔县| 平果县| 聂拉木县| 巴彦淖尔市|