Chang'E1 is the first lunar probe independently developed and launched by China. Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), the Chang'e-1 lunar probe satellite of China's Moon Exploration Project is named after the ancient Chinese mythological character Chang'e, who ran to the moon in an ancient mythological story that has been passed down in China. Chang'e-1 is mainly used to obtain three-dimensional images of the lunar surface, analyze the distribution characteristics of the relevant elements on the lunar surface, detect the thickness of the lunar soil, and probe the space environment of the Earth and the Moon. The whole process of "running to the moon" will take about 8 to 9 days. Chang'e-1 will operate in a circular polar orbit 200 kilometers from the lunar surface. Chang'e-1 will have a working life of one year and is scheduled to fly around the Moon for one year. It will not return to Earth after its mission. The successful launch of Chang'e-1 makes China the world's fifth country region to launch a lunar probe.
Chang'e-1 is China's first artificial satellite to orbit the moon and was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology. The Chang'e-1 platform was developed on the basis of China's mature Dongfanghong-3 satellite platform, and fully inherited the existing mature technologies and products of the China Resources-2 satellite and the China-Pakistan Earth Resources Satellite (CPERS), and carried out adaptive modifications. The satellite platform was developed using the technology of the Dongfanghong-3 satellite platform, and adaptive modifications were made to eight sub-systems, including structure, propulsion, power supply, measurement and control, and digital transmission. The body of Chang'e-1 is a rectangular body of 2 meters by 1.72 meters by 2.2 meters, with a solar cell sail panel on each side, a maximum span of 18.1 meters after full deployment, and a weight of 2,350 kilograms. The payload includes a CCD stereo camera, imaging spectrometer, solar cosmic ray monitor and low-energy particle detector and other scientific exploration instruments.
The Chang'e-1 lunar exploration satellite consists of two major parts: the satellite platform and the payload. The Chang'e-1 satellite platform consists of nine subsystems, including a structural subsystem, a thermal control subsystem, a guidance, navigation and control subsystem, a propulsion subsystem, a data management subsystem, a measurement and control digital transmission subsystem, a directional antenna subsystem and a payload. Each of these subsystems performs its own duties and works together to ensure the successful completion of the lunar exploration mission. The payload on the star is used to complete the scientific exploration and test on the Moon, while other subsystems provide support, control, instruction and management guarantee services for the normal work of the payload.
According to the four scientific tasks of China's lunar exploration project, Chang'e-1 carries eight kinds of 24 scientific exploration instruments weighing 130 kilograms, namely, microwave detector system, gamma-ray spectrometer, X-ray spectrometer, laser altimeter, solar high-energy particle detector, solar wind ion detector, CCD stereo camera, and interference imaging spectrometer.
In the preliminary development stage, there are two preliminary satellites, the electrical star and the structural star, to undertake satellite testing. The test of the electrical star is mainly used for the comprehensive test of some equipments with electronic performance, and the test of the structural star is mainly to assess the reasonableness of the structural design, and the reasonableness of the temperature control design on the whole star. The two prototype stars carry out the whole star test. The entire preliminary test phase lasted until June 2007, and then entered the development phase of the satellite's prototype star, carrying out the development of the "Chang'e I" prototype satellite.
In order to ensure the completion of the lunar exploration project, the Long March 3A rocket, which is responsible for launching the satellite, underwent 41 reliability design tasks to improve its delivery reliability.
The Chang'e-1 lunar exploration satellite was launched on Oct. 24, 2007, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center by the Long March 3A carrier rocket. It operates in a circular polar orbit 200 kilometers from the surface of the Moon to carry out scientific exploration missions.
The Chang'e-1 probe was successfully launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center by a Long March 3A carrier rocket at about 18:05 UTC on Oct. 24, 2007, Beijing time. After the launch, the satellite will take eight to nine days to complete the flights of the phasing orbit segment, the Earth-Moon transfer orbit segment and the circumlunar orbit segment. After eight orbit changes, the satellite officially entered the working orbit on Nov. 7, and on Nov. 18, the satellite changed to the orientation attitude toward the moon, and on Nov. 20, it began to send back the exploration data.
On Nov. 26, 2007, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) formally announced the first image of the moon's surface returned by Chang'e-1 satellite.
A conference to celebrate the success of China's first lunar exploration project was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing at 10:00 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2007.
At 16:13 on March 1, 2009, the Chang'e I satellite successfully impacted the moon under control. The first phase of China's lunar exploration project came to a successful conclusion.
Ye Peijian, chief designer and commander-in-chief of the Chang'e-1 satellite, revealed on February 21, 2008, that the Chang'e-2 satellite will be launched around 2010. It was launched on October 1, 2010 at 18:59:57 hours. It is the sister satellite of Chang'e-1 and was launched by a Long March 3C rocket. As the main task of Chang'e-2 is to obtain clearer and more detailed data on the lunar surface image and the surface of the lunar polar region, the resolution of the CCD camera carried on the satellite will be higher, reaching about 10 meters, and other detection equipment will also be improved, so the data detected about the moon will be more informative.
Ye Peijian, chief designer and commander-in-chief of the Chang'e-1 satellite, said the flight program of the Chang'e-2 star is similar to that of the Chang'e-1, but the key is that its working orbit is 200 kilometers, and we are ready to lower it to 100 kilometers, so Chang'e-2 should be launched around 2010.
Ye Peijian said the Chang'e project is divided into three steps, and after realizing the satellite orbiting the moon, it will be the launch of a lander to the moon. The key technology research work program has already begun and a breakthrough will be achieved within two years.
Hu Hao, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and director of the Moon Exploration Engineering Center of the National Defense Science and Industry Commission (NDSC), said that Chang'e I had a backup star in the beginning, and that the backup star is now being improved, and that after the transformation is completed, it will be launched as Chang'e II, in the same way that Chang'e I was launched.
Hu Hao said there is no specific timetable for the launch of Chang'e-2 for the time being. "We have to wait until the end of the attack, the problems are solved, and the final equipment and system testing and verification are completed before we consider the launch." Hu Hao analyzed that we are concerned about the process, but the masses are concerned about the results of the launch, which are not the same. He revealed that Chang'e 2 is currently being demonstrated, the program has not yet come out, and will draw on Chang'e 1's experience in management, technology and understanding of the space environment, but will be improved in terms of technology. At the same time, Hu Hao said that Chang'e 2's technical status does not want to make a big move, otherwise it is easy to bring risks and spend more money. The second phase of the moon exploration project was launched Chang'e-3 has been successfully launched, and Chang'e-4 will be launched at a later stage
At 15:00 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2008, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) held a ceremony for releasing the full moon image map of the moon probe project and handing over the scientific data. Chen Qufa, vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and director-general of the National Defense Science, Technology and Industry Agency (NDSTIA), disclosed that the launch of Chang'e-2 is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2010.
Chen pointed out that the Chang'e-1 satellite has been in orbit for one year and has accomplished the project's objectives and scientific exploration tasks, marking the complete success of the first phase of China's moon exploration project! The success of the project has realized the goal of "producing results, experience, models and talents" put forward by the leading group.
Chen Qufa said, in early 2008, the State Council formally approved the second phase of the moon project project. The second phase of the project is mainly to develop and launch "Chang'e 3" and "Chang'e 4" lunar probes, to achieve a soft landing on the moon, the technology across the big, engineering risk. In order to ensure the success of the second phase of the project, we have improved the technology of the backup star of the first phase of the project as the pilot star of the second phase of the project, which is named Chang'e-2, mainly to test and validate some of the new technologies and equipment in the first phase, to reduce the risk of the project, and to deepen the scientific exploration of the Moon.
Chang'e-3 will realize lunar soft landing and roving exploration tasks and will be launched by a Long March 3B carrier rocket. In terms of science and technology, the second phase of the project will realize four firsts, to develop and launch China's first extraterrestrial body landing probe and roving probe, the first time to use the Long March 3B launch vehicle to launch a spacecraft in Earth-Moon Transfer Orbit (EMTO), the first time to set up and use the Deep Space Measurement and Control Network (DSMN) to carry out measurement, control and communication, and the first time to realize a soft landing on the Moon, It is the first time to realize such major breakthroughs as soft landing on the Moon, lunar surface inspection and lunar night survival, carry out exploration activities on the topography and geological structure of the Moon's surface, the composition of minerals and chemical composition, the internal structure of the Moon, the Earth-Moon space and the environment of the Moon's surface, and build up a basically complementary lunar exploration engineering system.
The Chang'e-3 lunar probe, which is tasked with "landing on the moon," was launched at 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2013, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center by the Long March 3B carrier rocket.
At 2:17 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2013, China successfully launched the Chang'e-3 lunar probe of the second phase of China's Moon Exploration Project (CMP) into space on a Long March 3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLCC).
At 21:11:18.695 on Dec. 14, 2013, Chang'e-3 successfully made a soft landing and the landing camera sent back images.
One arc, two points, write the moon exploration
Gu Yongjiang, the designer of the logo for China's moon exploration project, said the work leaves the viewer with some room for thought, and that pair of footprints can be everyone's.
Inspired by calligraphy
Gu Yongjiang is a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. Growing up on the banks of Lanting, the holy land of calligraphy, he was y influenced by the countryside, and started copying tablets and posters from the age of six. Solid calligraphy foundation for the "moon above" inspiration to lay the groundwork. Gu Yongjiang told reporters that Chinese calligraphy has deep cultural connotations and is an inexhaustible source of design.
Recalling two years ago, Gu said he decided to participate in the online call for moon logos because creative design is his profession and China's moon project has sparked his interest in space exploration.
Talking about his creative inspiration, Gu Yongjiang said: "At the beginning, I thought that 'moon' could be written in ancient Chinese as round, just like a moon. The two points in the middle can be replaced by footprints, symbolizing mankind's ascent to the moon." It is these "two points" that make the design both Chinese and cross-cultural, thus avoiding a narrow mindset.
While the deadline for the submission was tight, it took Gu about an hour to clear his mind and deliver the final draft. What Gu Yongjiang is most pleased with about this design is the little pair of feet. He said, "I left the viewer some space to think in this work, and that pair of footprints could be everyone's."
"Above the Moon" has a deep meaning
On Feb. 10, 2006, Gu Yongjiang's logo for lunar exploration, "Above the Moon," won a sweeping victory in a poll of Internet users. Experts commented that the logo abstractly outlines a full moon with Chinese calligraphy strokes, a pair of small footprints on it, symbolizing the ultimate dream of exploring the moon, and a dragon's head naturally formed at the beginning of the arc, symbolizing China's space industry as a dragon rising up in the sky; the overall graphic is formed by an arc and two dots to form the ancient Chinese character "月", which conveys a belief in exploration with its imaginative strokes. The overall graphic consists of an arc and two dots that subtly form the ancient Chinese character for "moon", which conveys a belief in exploration.
Invited by the Lunar Exploration Engineering Center of the National Defense Science and Industry Commission, Gu Yongjiang had exchanged ideas with many judges and experts, and made further changes to the details of the logo. They changed the red of the arc in the first draft to blue, which symbolizes people's constant dream of exploring the universe; the flying white of the pen was changed to a flock of peace doves, which expresses China's good wishes for the peaceful use of space. On November 20, 2013, when Chang'e-3 was about to be launched, the Lunar Exploration and Aerospace Engineering Center of the National Defense Science, Technology and Industry Council (NDSTIC), which is responsible for the development of the Chang'e logo, was invited to present the logo to the judges and experts, Ltd. (Chang'e), the world premiere ceremony of "China's First Lunar Exploration Seal" was held at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on November 20, 2013, on the occasion of the upcoming launch of "Chang'e III".
Chang'e 3, a lunar exploration project, was launched in December 2013, realizing the first soft landing of a Chinese spacecraft on an extraterrestrial body, and China's first lunar rover will land on the moon for roving exploration. This is the first soft-landing probe to return to the moon after the U.S. Apollo program, signifying that the Chinese nation's 5,000-year-old dream of landing on the moon is about to come true, and that China will once again become the center of the world's attention.
The lunar exploration project is a national landmark project. It is an important event for the country, and the seal will be made for all time. In order to witness the great event of Chang'e-3 launch, the world's first "China's First Moon Exploration Tourmaline", which is the only official authorization of Chang'e Company and authoritatively supervised by Beijing Gongmei Group, has been officially launched.
"China's First Lunar Prospecting Tourmaline" is a fusion of poetry, calligraphy, jade and painting, and is re-created based on the "Treasure of Fengtian", one of the twenty-five treasures of the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, and is hand-carved out of selected Hetian jade, utilizing the traditional jade tourmaline production techniques and modern jade carving techniques. It is made of selected Hetian jade, utilizing traditional jade seal making techniques, combined with modern jade carving techniques, and carved by hand. Guo Ming, the designer of the "Beijing Olympic Emblem Treasure", acted as the chief designer, and at the same time assembled a team of experts in three major fields, such as Chinese jade carving master Wang Xiwei, famous calligrapher Zhao Changqing, and master of Chinese calligraphy Zhang Yudong, and so on, to create a joint effort.
"China's First Lunar Prospecting Seal" has a majestic dragon in the shape of the seal button, with two dragon claws holding together a pearl symbolizing the moon, on which is carved the logo of "China's Lunar Prospecting", symbolizing that the Chinese nation has realized the national dream of flying to the moon; the front side of the base is depicted in gold and engraved with the inscription of Zhao Changqing. The front side of the base is engraved with "China's First Lunar Prospecting Seal" inscribed by Zhao Changqing; the back side is engraved with "Lunar Prospecting Fugue" created by Zhang Yudong in gold; the sides are engraved with the motifs of Chang'e Runs to the Moon, China's Lunar Vehicle Landing on the Moon, as well as the inscription of "Chang'e Runs to the Moon" by Zhao Changqing, "China's Dream"; the upper part of the four sides of the base of the seal is carved with the totems of 56 nationalities, and the lower part is engraved with the pattern of the Great Wall made up of auspicious reticulation, implying that all nationalities of China **** Xiang Xiangxu, and blessing the motherland's foundation to be everlasting and unceasingly growing; the seal text of the seal is "China's Exploration of the Moon", the logo and "2013". The seal is imprinted with "China's moon exploration" and the word "2013".
"China's first moon exploration seal" and "Chang'e 3" first moon landing this theme is closely linked with the deep historical value and cultural meaning, is the hundreds of millions of children in China's dream of moon exploration carrier, but also China's moon exploration and aerospace industry is a witness to the brilliant achievements. It is also a witness to the brilliant achievements of China's moon exploration and space program.
It is understood that the market development of China's lunar exploration project is one of the ways to incentivize enterprises and the public to support the cause of China's lunar exploration, and the proceeds from the market development will be directly used for scientific research incentives for the cause of China's lunar exploration and popularization of science and education. At the same time, the development of related products around China's lunar exploration project is also in the form of physical witness and remember the brilliant achievements of China's lunar exploration, so that the public more real, close perception of China's lunar exploration project, leaving a permanent collection of historical memories.