China's lunar and deep space exploration: touching the moon and exploring the universe

Abstract The Chinese lunar probe Chang'e-4 (CE-4) landed in the Von Kármán crater within the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin on the far-side of the Moon on 3 January 2019. Following this, the moon rover Yutu-2 separated from the CE-4 lander and started its travels and exploration on the far-side of the Moon. Before this landing, humans had remotely observed the far-side of the Moon with lunar satellites. However, it was the first time that a man-made spacecraft had landed there and actually left behind wheel prints belonging to humanity. Since China's Lunar Exploration Project (CLEP), or Chang'e Project, started in 2004, China has accomplished the first two steps of its three-step plan of ‘Orbiting, Landing and Returning’. CE-3 and CE-4 landed successfully on the near-side and far-side of the Moon, respectively. In the near future, CE-5 will land again on the near-side of the Moon and take lunar rock and soil samples back to Earth, thus completing the three-step plan of CLEP. In April 2019, National Science Review (NSR) interviewed three key figures of CLEP: CLEP Chief Engineer Weiren Wu (), the first CLEP Chief Scientist and CLEP senior consultant Ziyuan Ouyang (), and CLEP third phase Vice-Chief Engineer, CE-4 Ground Research and Application System Director Chunlai Li (). They talked about the scientific expectations and future plans of China's lunar and deep space exploration.

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Why China is Fixated on the Moon

Asia Pacific Physics Newsletter ◽

10.1142/s2251158x14000058 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 03 (01) ◽

pp. 22-23

Author(s):

David Shukman

Keyword(s):

Solar Power ◽

Space Exploration ◽

The Moon ◽

Deep Space ◽

Chinese Scientist ◽

Deep Space Exploration ◽

Helium 3 ◽

Foreign Media ◽

First Interview

The Moon could be a "beautiful" source of minerals and energy, a top Chinese scientist has told the BBC. Exotic materials including helium-3 and the potential for solar power could prove invaluable for humankind, he says. The comments come from Prof Ouyang Ziyuan of the department of lunar and deep space exploration. His first interview with the foreign media provides insights into China's usually secretive space programme.

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The cislunar spaceport for the crew delivery to the lunar surface

Space engineering and technology ◽

10.33950/spacetech-2308-7625-2019-2-5-13 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 5-13

Author(s):

Yury N. Makushenko ◽

Rafail F. Murtazin ◽

Dmitry S. Zarubin

Keyword(s):

Lunar Surface ◽

Space Exploration ◽

Space Station ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Lunar Orbit ◽

The Moon ◽

Deep Space ◽

Deep Space Exploration ◽

National Programs ◽

Lunar Lander

The success of the International Space Station project has inspired the partners to review possible steps in space exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit. The Moon, Mars, or asteroids - the priorities of partners’ national programs could be different. Understanding of the deep space exploration viability by the joint team led partners to consideration regarding Cis-Lunar Spaceport which will become a Spaceport and should facilitate the implementation of the national programs. At the present time a concept of the Spaceport located on high-elliptical lunar orbit is being widely discussed. The Spaceport is considered to be a transportation hub supporting deep space exploration programs: missions to the Moon, asteroids, Mars and other natural and artificial objects. Different schemes of crew delivery to the lunar surface using Lunar Lander based and serviced at the Spaceport are compared in the paper. The Spaceport utilization significantly reduces transportation operations time limits and provides conditions for reusable lunar spacecraft implementation. Key words: Cislunar spaceport, high-elliptical lunar orbit, ascent module, descant module, reusable lunar crew vehicle.

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Solar Sail Technology Development for Innovative Deep Space Exploration

10.2514/6.iac-04-q.4.02 ◽

2004 ◽

Keyword(s):

Technology Development ◽

Space Exploration ◽

Solar Sail ◽

Deep Space ◽

Deep Space Exploration

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Overview of Intelligent Power Controller Development for Human Deep Space Exploration

12th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference ◽

10.2514/6.2014-3833 ◽

2014 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

James F. Soeder ◽

Anne Mcnelis ◽

Raymond Beach ◽

Nancy McNelis ◽

Timothy Dever ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Space Exploration ◽

Deep Space ◽

Power Controller ◽

Deep Space Exploration

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An advance in transfer line chilldown heat transfer of cryogenic propellants in microgravity using microfilm coating for enabling deep space exploration

npj Microgravity ◽

10.1038/s41526-021-00149-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

J. N. Chung ◽

Jun Dong ◽

Hao Wang ◽

S. R. Darr ◽

J. W. Hartwig

Keyword(s):

Space Exploration ◽

Fluid Management ◽

Microgravity Condition ◽

Space Mission ◽

Low Earth Orbit ◽

Earth Orbit ◽

Deep Space ◽

Deep Space Exploration ◽

Quenching Efficiency ◽

Proper Perspective

AbstractThe extension of human space exploration from a low earth orbit to a high earth orbit, then to Moon, Mars, and possibly asteroids is NASA’s biggest challenge for the new millennium. Integral to this mission is the effective, sufficient, and reliable supply of cryogenic propellant fluids. Therefore, highly energy-efficient thermal-fluid management breakthrough concepts to conserve and minimize the cryogen consumption have become the focus of research and development, especially for the deep space mission to mars. Here we introduce such a concept and demonstrate its feasibility in parabolic flights under a simulated space microgravity condition. We show that by coating the inner surface of a cryogenic propellant transfer pipe with low-thermal conductivity microfilms, the quenching efficiency can be increased up to 176% over that of the traditional bare-surface pipe for the thermal management process of chilling down the transfer pipe. To put this into proper perspective, the much higher efficiency translates into a 65% savings in propellant consumption.

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Adaption-Based Analytics for Assessment of Human Deconditioning during Deep Space Exploration

2021 IEEE Aerospace Conference (50100) ◽

10.1109/aero50100.2021.9438367 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anastasiia Prysyazhnyuk ◽

Carolyn McGregor

Keyword(s):

Space Exploration ◽

Deep Space ◽

Deep Space Exploration

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Zero gravity induced by parabolic flight enhances automatic capture and weakens voluntary maintenance of visuospatial attention

npj Microgravity ◽

10.1038/s41526-021-00159-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Adriana Salatino ◽

Claudio Iacono ◽

Roberto Gammeri ◽

Stefano T. Chiadò ◽

Julien Lambert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Space Exploration ◽

Parabolic Flight ◽

Vestibular Function ◽

Visuospatial Attention ◽

Covert Attention ◽

Zero Gravity ◽

Deep Space ◽

Otolith Organ ◽

Deep Space Exploration ◽

Automatic Capture

AbstractOrienting attention in the space around us is a fundamental prerequisite for willed actions. On Earth, at 1 g, orienting attention requires the integration of vestibular signals and vision, although the specific vestibular contribution to voluntary and automatic components of visuospatial attention remains largely unknown. Here, we show that unweighting of the otolith organ in zero gravity during parabolic flight, selectively enhances stimulus-driven capture of automatic visuospatial attention, while weakening voluntary maintenance of covert attention. These findings, besides advancing our comprehension of the basic influence of the vestibular function on voluntary and automatic components of visuospatial attention, may have operational implications for the identification of effective countermeasures to be applied in forthcoming human deep space exploration and habitation, and on Earth, for patients’ rehabilitation.

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