China's satellite: what is it and how does it work?

to achieve your goals Moon exploration and researchAnd China decided to build Satellite Which will start operating in the coming months, according to detallaron Al South China Morning Post Researchers responsible for the project.

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The goal is to create a facility where the low-gravity environment found on the Moon can be simulated, in order to better prepare for future lunar missions of which the Asian giant is most interested.

While low gravity can be achieved artificially in an aircraft or drop tower, the time the effect lasts is short, making research difficult. With this project, what has been achieved is that the effect can “last as you like,” according to Li Ruilin, lead scientist for the project at China University of Mining and Technology.

According to the expert, this simulation will be “the first of its kind in the world”, which will raise the preparation for lunar missions to a new level.

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The installation, for example, will allow equipment to be tested before it is moved into space and thus avoid costly estimation errors. In addition, according to Li, the simulation will also reveal whether technologies that work on Earth can also be used on the Moon, such as 3D printing to build infrastructure.

“Some experiments conducted in a simulated environment can also give us some important clues, such as where to look for water trapped under the surface,” said the Chinese scientist.

China and its interest in the moon

The Asian giant has a great interest in lunar exploration. In 2019, a probe from that country made history by successfully landing on the hidden side of the moon, a feat that no country has yet achieved.

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In addition, only a few days ago the fourth phase of the lunar exploration program was approved, which includes the construction in the next decade of a scientific exploration base at the satellite’s south pole.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has announced that the Asian country will continue its lunar exploration program with the future Chang’e 6, Chang’e 7 and Chang’e 8 missions.

The Chang’e program (named after a goddess who lives on the moon according to Chinese legend) began with the launch of the first probe in 2007. The ultimate goal of this program is to send a manned mission to the moon.

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