Is This Why China Went To The Dark Side Of The Moon?

 

China has embarked on an ambitious space program – surpassing the United States in orbital launches last year (primarily for satellites), and now landing their own lunar rover on the dark side of the moon, the Chang’e 4.

The stated purpose of Beijing’s robotic lander is to collect samples and identify what minerals are there. And while the Chang’e 4 is unlikely to find precious metals such as gold, silver or platinum – there may be something up there that could serve as a “lunar fuel station to the stars,” as the South China Morning Post puts it; Helium-3

In the 21st Century Space Race, China Is Winning

A simulated landing process of Chang’e-4 lunar probe is seen through the monitor at Beijing Aerospace Control Center in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 3, 2019. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang/Getty Images)

 

China’s prophesied rise in space exposes the dangerous weakness of the West.

China achieved a world first on January 3 when its moon lander, Chang’e 4, made a soft landing on the far side of the moon. This is another triumph in China’s quest to dominate the 21st century’s space race, and it will have important consequences for us on Earth.

Many probes have photographed or crash-landed onto the moon’s far side, but Chang’e 4 is the first to make a “soft” lunar landing, a type of landing where no serious damage occurs to the spacecraft. This is a tricky manoeuvre because signal transmissions from Earth are blocked by the other half of the moon.