
China prepares mission to land spacecraft on moon's far side - dnetesn
https://phys.org/news/2018-12-china-mission-spacecraft-moon-side.html
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gardaani
The lander plans to transmit data to Earth using a relay satellite orbiting at
the Earth-Moon L2 halo orbit: [http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-
blogs/2018/0519-change-...](http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-
blogs/2018/0519-change-4-relay-satellite.html)

The relay satellite included two micro-satellites for the moon, only one of
them survived: [http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-
blogs/2018/20180615-que...](http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-
blogs/2018/20180615-queqiao-orbit-explainer.html)

~~~
Isamu
That Earth-Moon L2 halo orbit is cool, I didn't even know that was a thing.

[edit] I mean I was aware of Lagrange points, but not the practicality of the
halo orbit. This is a nice explanation:

[http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Mechanics/lagpt.h...](http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Mechanics/lagpt.html)

~~~
acranox
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrangian_point)

~~~
Isamu
An interesting point from that page:

>A full n-body dynamical system such as the Solar System does not contain
these periodic orbits, but does contain quasi-periodic (i.e. bounded but not
precisely repeating) orbits following Lissajous-curve trajectories. These
quasi-periodic Lissajous orbits are what most of Lagrangian-point space
missions have used until now. Although they are not perfectly stable, a modest
effort of station keeping keeps a spacecraft in a desired Lissajous orbit for
a long time.

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melling
Perhaps we’ll get another Space Race with China. At a point, the United States
was spending over 4% its budget on NASA:

[https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/feb/01/nasa-b...](https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/feb/01/nasa-
budgets-us-spending-space-travel)

The money would probably be better spent on several projects (e.g. AI,
hypersonic flight).

~~~
chadAnon69
we used to invest $3 into infrastructure and science for every $1 in
entitlements spending. Now we spend $5 in entitlements for every $1 in
infrastructure/science

And people wonder why the US is falling apart and technological advances have
slowed down.

We're living hand to mouth instead of investing in the future. The sad thing
is that many of our problems could be solved permanently via technology rather
than government.

Instead of creating the automobile people are trying to make horses faster

~~~
moron4hire
Have technology advances slowed down? Or are we just not advancing in the big,
exciting really of "blowing shit up"?

~~~
Taylor_OD
It feels like we slowed down in the important areas. Software? Web Apps? We're
doing great. Anything space related? Eh. In theory we get to claim SpaceX so I
guess that counts but most people couldnt tell you what NASA's been up to
recently...

~~~
atupis
Yeah it is slown [https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601199/tech-slowdown-
thre...](https://www.technologyreview.com/s/601199/tech-slowdown-threatens-
the-american-dream/) 50s was peak.

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saagarjha
> It may also carry plant seeds and silkworm eggs, according to the official
> Xinhua News Agency.

Is there any scientific/experimental reason for this, or is it just a symbolic
gesture?

~~~
cauldron
Don't know this time, but Chinese textbooks mentioned the radioactive space
environment could cause mutations in the genes, creat new varieties.

~~~
narag
Nice: giant worms in a world with scarce water laying in caves.

~~~
illegalsmile
Let me know when I can buy a stillsuit and then we'll talk.

~~~
ccozan
Teoretically you learn to build it yourself....

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foobarbecue
"Its program also suffered a rare setback last year with the dialed launch of
its Long March 5 rocket."

Failed, I presume.

~~~
mtmail
Yes, further details [https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/07/long-
march-5-lofts-s...](https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/07/long-
march-5-lofts-shijian-18/)

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leojg
I really like the Chinese approach to space exploration. They go slow but
steady and focus on interesting stuff.

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czbond
When will China publish their own pictures of the satellite dish, cooling
tower, and woman on the moon? <snark>

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNkmhY_ju8o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNkmhY_ju8o)

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bigtech
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.

~~~
BurningFrog
[Adjusts glasses]

Actually...

