China's Space Program News Thread

[NeutralWarrior]

Sorry MODs, I gotto post this. Can't bear to let this go unnoticed.

Please delete if breaking any rules, thanks.

 

[weig2000]

So perseverance has been collecting soil samples for a sample return mission slated for the 2030s given all the talk of 'competition' odds of a Chinese sample return mission like Chang'e 5 on the books? If they manage an 'all in one' mission again that will be one for the history books.

China is planning a sample return mission from Mars in 2028.

 

[H2O]

I don't understand why there can't be a transmission of a grainy picture from their engineering cameras on the lander. There's got to be a camera somewhere on the lander. And what about the orbiter? Don't they have some engineering cameras pointing in the direction of the lander as it descends to the surface? We know there is one engineering camera overseeing one of the orbiter's solar panels.

It's too bad they used that WiFi camera early in the voyage to Mars. It would have been great to use it when the lander separated from the orbiter.

EDIT:

Some clarification. It appears the lander/rover cannot bypass the orbiter for data transmission.

I haven't heard anything about the rover getting deployed - rolling down the lander and opening its solar panels.

Any confirmation of that?

CNSA vice-chief Wu Yanhua reports on the following future plans:

May 17 - fourth braking to enter relay orbit
May 22 - rover rolls off lander deck
May 27 - Lander/rover mutual photographing session (so lander has deck cameras too)
May 28 - 1st scientific data downlink

(Source via Cosmic Pengiun:

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)

 

[voyager1]

May 22 - rover rolls off lander deck
May 27 - Lander/rover mutual photographing session (so lander has deck cameras too)
May 28 - 1st scientific data downlink

Pff! Thats so long!

How does NASA manage to get fast photos from its rovers and this needs so much time

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Just minutes after NASA's Perseverance Mars rover nailed its touchdown on the Red Planet, the spacecraft sent back the first two images of its new home in Jezero Crater

NASA is much better on this aspect. Check their Perseverance Rover. It sent back photos in just some minutes after landing lol

 

[Engineer]

I don't understand why there can't be a transmission of a grainy picture from their engineering cameras on the lander.

Tianwen1 is the only relay satellite for China. We will have to wait for the satellite to fly over the landing site.

 

[H2O]

Pff! Thats so long!

How does NASA manage to get fast photos from its rovers and this needs so much time

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NASA is much better on this aspect. Check their Perseverance Rover. It sent back photos in just some minutes after landing lol

I've just added a video from CCTV+. It appears the orbiter needs to be repositioned into a relay orbit for clear transmissions. The lander/rover is unable to send transmissions directly to Earth.

I agree that NASA is ahead of the curve with this. But then again, the CNSA does not have the same pressure as NASA experiences.

 

[Engineer]

NASA is much better on this aspect. Check their Perseverance Rover. It sent back photos in just some minutes after landing lol

NASA has access to Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Odyssey and Mars Express for relay. CNSA doesn't.

 

[voyager1]

I've just added a video from CCTV+. It appears the orbiter needs to be repositioned into a relay orbit for clear transmissions. The lander/rover is unable to send transmissions directly to Earth.

I agree that NASA is ahead of the curve with this. But then again, the CNSA does not have the same pressure as NASA experiences.

For a moment I thought it was some kind of incompetence or some strange design decision.

Well if its the case of lack of numberz of orbiters then thats ok, its not like China could have magically generated more on their first mission

 

[voyager1]

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“This landing reinforces the point that we don’t own space any more,” King told

Oops! Did he just let his inner thoughts slip for a moment here?

 

[Equation]

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Oops! Did he just let his inner thoughts slip for a moment here?

Nah...rather more reasons for congress to support the US Space Force against the "big bad China".