Nasa wanted to use China’s spacecraft to plan a new American moon mission, top Chinese scientist says
US space scientists had asked permission to borrow China’s Chang’e 4 spacecraft and relay satellite to plan a mission to the far side of the moon.
The lead scientist for China’s lunar project revealed on Tuesday that US space scientists had asked permission to use China’s Chang’e 4 spacecraft and relay satellite to help them plan an American mission to the far side of the moon.
Wu Weiren, chief scientist of China’s lunar programme, told reporters with state broadcaster CCTV that Nasa scientists had made the request at an international conference a few years ago.
The American scientists had asked China to extend the Queqiao relay satellite’s lifespan and allow an American beacon device to be placed on Chang’e 4, saying it would help the US side plan its own lunar landing strategy, Wu said.
“We asked the Americans why they wanted our relaying satellite to operate longer?” Wu told CCTV. “They said, perhaps feeling a little embarrassed, that they wanted to make use of our relaying satellite when they make their own mission to the far side of the moon.”
The Queqiao relay satellite played a critical role in Chang’e 4’s historic soft landing on the moon’s dark side on January 3.
Radio waves cannot reach the portion of the lunar surface that cannot be directly observed from Earth. To overcome the communication hurdle, Chinese scientists launched Queqiao to help beam signals from Chang’e to Earth.
Source: south China morning post
Last edited:
