The rover will used ground-penetrating radar to map the moon’s inner structures, analyze soil and rock samples for minerals and chemicals with potential economic value, and activate a radio telescope to search for possible signals from distant universes.
The craft also carried a canister filled with air, soil, water, bacterium, silkworm eggs, the seeds of a small flowering plant and a potato. Scientists hope that the small ecosystem will spring to life and produce the first blossoming flowers on the moon in about three months’ time.
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If I remember the movie “The Martian” correctly, the first one to actual grow crops in a new location is considered the one to have colonised a place.
“The craft also carried a canister filled with air, soil, water, bacterium, silkworm eggs, the seeds of a small flowering plant and a potato. Scientists hope that the small ecosystem will spring to life and produce the first blossoming flowers on the moon in about three months’ time.”
Bingo.
Fair enough. I should have used the subjunctive. “I’m not saying we xxxxx couldn’t do it; I’m saying we aren’t doing it.”
If all goes well with CLPS, then sometime in the next 2-3 years, we’ll have a system that can land about 250 kg on the surface. Chang’e 4 and Yutu weigh about 1600 kg.
We can’t do stuff–today–that the Chinese are doing–today. And this will be true for at least a few years to come.
Why? who cares? That is so 1960s and 70s.
Which is a 100% about face from what you said that I replied to.
You said: Stuff it can’t do today.
THEY FOUND something OR the THING BROKE down???
NOTHING new,no news,for 4 DAYS now!
Please describe the US spacecraft system that can land payloads on the Moon today.
I’m not saying we can’t do it; I’m saying that we aren’t doing it.
Yes it did. Several of them. So did the Soviets (not as many, tho).
(Don’t like my answer? Not my fault you used improper word usage in making declarative statements)
Nobody has still, too. (Don’t like my answer? Not my fault you used improper word usage in making declarative word statements)
What does doing the same thing it has done before mean anything? You going to make a huff and puff if we stop building freeways, too?
????
The US can send probes to the moon. It has done so several times. So what? Big deal.
Should the US re-institute the Pony Express just because some s—hole country finally gets around to doing so while catching up to the First World, too? By your logic the answer to that would be yes.
I would say, “It is about time some third world messed up nation got there” to the first and “So what? The US does that all the time!” to the second.
There is nothing glorious about catching up.
Stuff it can’t do today.
Never would have happened without Elon’s help. Thanks much Mr. Musk!
The US never had a rover on the moon, nobody ever landed on the far side nor build a robotic spacecraft that can do so autonomously.
But in in another 10 years or so you can proberbly say that and be accurate.
Who knows, maybe this year the US too can achieve something the great powered did 60 years ago: send a man into low earth orbit in a capsule.
And this June will be the 50th anniversary, it was a great achievement and I’m sure China will commemorate it. Problem is today is not 1969
Tell me, if you were told in 1969 that in 50 years, Chinese probes will be exploring the far side of the moon, and the US will be on the cusps of being able to send man into low earth orbit in a capsule, how would you feel.
Wow! Look at all folks on here praising China for doing something that Great Powers did 50 years ago!
US doing WHAT? Stuff it did 50 years ago?
When you can launch three autonomous spacecraft, with two of them out of direct contact with Earth, and the whole system works without a hitch, I’d say you have a mature deep space program.
I’d much rather the US was doing stuff like this, but I’m glad that somebody is doing it. Nice job, China.
Think of your shadow at 5pm compared to noon. *At both times you are on the side of the earth exposed to the sun*, but the angle of the sun is different. Same thing on the moon.
It’s commonly called the “far side” of the moon in science and the “dark side” of the moon in a Pink Floyd song. Anywho… it’s referring to the lack of ability to send direct radio signals to the side of the moon that faces away from Earth all the time but still gets as much sunlight as the near side.
My socks are too dang big!?!?!?!
A real achievement for China! And mankind. No need for sarcastic comments, China did the real deal.
I recall in the 1950’s and 1960’s, there was a lot of sabre rattling associated with the USA & USSR space programs, by both sides. China has not done this.
I was wondering the same…. but “both the near and far sides receive (on average) almost equal amounts of light directly from the Sun. However, the near side also receives sunlight reflected from the Earth, known as earthshine. ” The internet… could be wrong though 😉
That is rather big shadow for being on the dark side of the moon.
Where God is? Why not? Everything beyond imagination has happened there.
If China actually transmits a photo of alien objects on the moon, they would make world history!
Any money that in a few days the craft will meet a catsrophic malfunction and that will be the end, or will it mwhahaha
NASA is NOTHING but a money pitt!
“Invasive species”??? That would only apply if there was already plant and animal life there to contaminate.
Oooh maybe we can get some unscensored, unblurred photos from the far side of the moon, unlike what we get from the LRO. Maybe they can actually do what a scientists job and explore and investigate ANY and ALL mysteries, not just boring moon rocks and craters.
A great success on moon discovery!
Multiverse!
China’s lunar rover You Tutu sashays across the lunar landscape… that translation leaves me aquiver with visions of Nutcrackers and Sugar Plum Fairies, except… it’s on the dark side of the moon. Dang it!
I’m not concerned at all. Nothing alive or dormant (like spores) can propagate there, and there are no native organisms.
Little is your word, not theirs. Use the word zero and you’d be correct.
Translation error?
Good one China
The temperature on the moon being what it is, That potato is either getting baked or frozen solid.
They did not say they were going to open the canister. When humans went to the Moon, they too were in canisters.
right now there is nothing to pollute..it’s life-less..
Quoe”The craft also carried a canister filled with air, soil, water, bacterium, silkworm eggs, the seeds of a small flowering plant and a potato. Scientists hope that the small ecosystem will spring to life and produce the first blossoming flowers on the moon in about three months’ time.”
Might as well pollute it with invasive species before we can really study it. I realize if they escaped confinement they would stand little chance of surviving but what bothers me is that word LITTLE.