Chang'e 4 - Wikipedia

Chinese lunar lander & rover Chang'e 4

Top: Chang'e 4 lander on the surface of the MoonBottom: Yutu-2 rover on lunar surface.
Mission type	Lander, lunar rover
Operator	CNSA
COSPAR ID	2018-103A
SATCAT no.	43845
Mission duration	Lander: 12 months (planned)2161 days (in progress) Rover: 3 months (planned) [1] 2161 days (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Launch mass	Total: 3,780 kg Lander: 3,640 kg [2]Rover: 140 kg[2]
Landing mass	Total: ~1,200 kg; rover: 140 kg
Dimensions	Rover: 1.5 × 1.0 × 1.0 m [3]
Start of mission
Launch date	7 December 2018, 18:23 UTC[4]
Rocket	Long March 3B[5]
Launch site	Xichang Satellite Launch Center, LA-2
Lunar lander
Landing date	3 January 2019, 02:26 UTC [6]
Landing site	Spatio Tianhe[7] within Von Kármán crater[8] in the South Pole-Aitken Basin[9]45°26′38″S 177°35′56″E / 45.444°S 177.599°E / -45.444; 177.599
Lunar rover
Landing date	3 January 2019, 02:26 UTC [10]
Landing site	Spatio Tianhe[7] within Von Kármán crater[8] in the South Pole-Aitken Basin[9]
Distance driven	1.596 km (0.992 mi)as of 4 May 2024[update][11]
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program← Queqiao-1Chang'e 5 → Chang'e probes← Chang'e 3Chang'e 5 →

Chang'e 4 (/tʃɑːŋˈə/; Chinese: 嫦娥四号; pinyin: Cháng'é Sìhào; lit. 'Chang'e No. 4') is a robotic spacecraft mission in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program of the CNSA. It made a soft landing on the far side of the Moon, the first spacecraft to do so, on 3 January 2019.[12][13]

A communication relay satellite, Queqiao, was first launched to a halo orbit near the Earth–Moon L2 point in May 2018. The robotic lander and Yutu-2 (Chinese: 玉兔二号; pinyin: Yùtù Èrhào; lit. 'Jade Rabbit No. 2') rover[14] were launched on 7 December 2018 and entered lunar orbit on 12 December 2018, before landing on the Moon's far side. On 15 January it was announced that seeds had sprouted in the lunar lander's biological experiment, the first plants to sprout on the Moon. The mission is the follow-up to Chang'e 3, the first Chinese landing on the Moon.

The spacecraft was originally built as a backup for Chang'e 3 and became available after Chang'e 3 landed successfully in 2013. The configuration of Chang'e 4 was adjusted to meet new scientific and performance objectives.[15] Like its predecessors, the mission is named after Chang'e, the Chinese Moon goddess.

In November 2019, Chang'e 4 mission team was awarded Gold Medal by the Royal Aeronautical Society.[16] In October 2020, the mission was awarded the World Space Award by the International Astronautical Federation.[17] Both were the first time for any Chinese mission to receive such awards.

Overview

[edit]

The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program is designed to be conducted in four[18] phases of incremental technological advancement: The first is simply reaching lunar orbit, a task completed by Chang'e 1 in 2007 and Chang'e 2 in 2010. The second is landing and roving on the Moon, as Chang'e 3 did in 2013 and Chang'e 4 did in 2019. The third is collecting lunar samples from the near-side and sending them to Earth, a task Chang'e 5 completed in 2020, and Chang'e 6 that completed in 2024. The fourth phase consists of development of a robotic research station near the Moon's south pole.[18][19][20]

The program aims to facilitate a crewed lunar landing in the 2030s and possibly the building of an outpost near the south pole.[21][22] The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program has started to incorporate private investment from individuals and enterprises for the first time, a move aimed at accelerating aerospace innovation, cutting production costs, and promoting military–civilian relationships.[23]

This mission will attempt to determine the age and composition of an unexplored region of the Moon, as well as develop technologies required for the later stages of the program.[24]

The landing craft touched down at 02:26 UTC on 3 January 2019, becoming the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the Moon. Yutu-2 rover was deployed about 12 hours after the landing.

Launch

[edit]

The Chang'e 4 mission was first scheduled for launch in 2015 as part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.[25][26] But the adjusted objectives and design of the mission imposed delays, and finally launched on 7 December 2018, 18:23 UTC.[4][27]

Selenocentric phase

[edit]

The spacecraft entered lunar orbit on 12 December 2018, 08:45 UTC.[28] The orbit's perilune was lowered to 15 km (9.3 mi) on 30 December 2018, 00:55 UTC.[29]

Landing took place on 3 January 2019 at 02:26 UTC,[13] shortly after lunar sunrise over the Von Kármán crater in the large South Pole-Aitken basin.[30]

Objectives

[edit]

An ancient collision event on the Moon left behind a very large crater, called the Aitken Basin, that is now about 13 km (8.1 mi) deep, and it is thought that the massive impactor likely exposed the deep lunar crust, and probably the mantle materials. If Chang'e 4 can find and study some of this material, it would get an unprecedented view into the Moon's internal structure and origins.[1] The specific scientific objectives are:[31]

• Measure the chemical compositions of lunar rocks and soils
• Measure lunar surface temperature over the duration of the mission.
• Carry out low-frequency radio astronomical observation and research using a radio telescope
• Study of cosmic rays
• Observe the solar corona, investigate its radiation characteristics and mechanism, and explore the evolution and transport of coronal mass ejections (CME) between the Sun and Earth.

Components

[edit]

Queqiao relay satellite

[edit] Main article: Queqiao relay satellite

Direct communication with Earth is impossible on the far side of the Moon, since transmissions are blocked by the Moon. Communications must go through a communications relay satellite, which is placed at a location that has a clear view of both the landing site and the Earth. As part of the Lunar Exploration Program, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched the Queqiao (Chinese: 鹊桥; pinyin: Quèqiáo; lit. 'Magpie Bridge') relay satellite on 20 May 2018 to a halo orbit around the Earth–Moon L2 point.[32][33][34] The relay satellite is based on the Chang'e 2 design,[35] has a mass of 425 kg (937 lb), and it uses a 4.2 m (14 ft) antenna to receive X band signals from the lander and rover, and relay them to Earth control on the S band.[36]

The spacecraft took 24 days to reach L2, using a lunar swing-by to save fuel.[37] On 14 June 2018, Queqiao finished its final adjustment burn and entered the L2 halo mission orbit, which is about 65,000 kilometres (40,000 mi) from the Moon. This is the first lunar relay satellite at this location.[37]

The name Queqiao ("Magpie Bridge") was inspired by and came from the Chinese tale The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.[32]

Longjiang microsatellites

[edit]

As part of the Chang'e 4 mission, two microsatellites (45 kg or 99 lb each) named Longjiang-1 and Longjiang-2 (Chinese: 龙江; pinyin: Lóng Jiāng; lit. 'Dragon River';[38] also known as Discovering the Sky at Longest Wavelengths Pathfinder or DSLWP [39]), were launched along with Queqiao in May 2018. Both satellites were developed by Harbin Institute of Technology, China.[40] Longjiang-1 failed to enter lunar orbit,[37] but Longjiang-2 succeeded and operated in lunar orbit until 31 July 2019 when it was deliberately directed to crash onto the Moon.[41]

Longjiang 2's crash site is located at 16°41′44″N 159°31′01″E / 16.6956°N 159.5170°E / 16.6956; 159.5170 (Longjiang-2 impact site) inside Van Gent crater, where it made a 4 by 5 metre crater upon impact.[42] These microsatellites were tasked to observe the sky at very low frequencies (1–30 megahertz), corresponding to wavelengths of 300 to 10 metres (984 to 33 ft), with the aim of studying energetic phenomena from celestial sources.[34][43][44] Due to the Earth's ionosphere, no observations in this frequency range have been done in Earth orbit,[44] offering potential breakthrough science.[24]

Chang'e lander and Yutu-2 rover

[edit] Main article: Yutu-2

The Chang'e 4 lander and rover design was modeled after Chang'e-3 and its Yutu rover. In fact, Chang'e 4 was built as a backup to Chang'e 3,[45] and based on the experience and results from that mission, Chang'e 4 was adapted to the specifics of the new mission.[46] The lander and rover were launched by Long March 3B rocket on 7 December 2018, 18:23 UTC, six months after the launch of the Queqiao relay satellite.[4]

The total landing mass is 1,200 kg (2,600 lb).[2] Both the stationary lander and Yutu-2 rover are equipped with a radioisotope heater unit (RHU) in order to heat their subsystems during the long lunar nights,[47] while electrical power is generated by solar panels.

After landing, the lander extended a ramp to deploy the Yutu-2 rover (literally: "Jade Rabbit") to the lunar surface.[37] The rover measures 1.5 × 1.0 × 1.0 m (4.9 × 3.3 × 3.3 ft) and has a mass of 140 kg (310 lb).[2][3] Yutu-2 rover was manufactured by the China Academy of Space Technology; it is solar-powered, RHU-heated,[47] and it is propelled by six wheels. The rover's nominal operating time is three months,[1] but after the experience with Yutu rover in 2013, the rover design was improved and Chinese engineers are hopeful it will operate for "a few years".[48] On November 21, 2019, Yutu 2 broke the lunar longevity record, of 322 Earth days, previously held by the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 1 rover (Nov. 17, 1970 to Oct. 4, 1971).[49]

Science payloads

[edit]

The communications relay satellite, orbiting microsatellite, lander and rover each carry scientific payloads. The relay satellite is performing radio astronomy,[50] whereas the lander and Yutu-2 rover will study the geophysics of the landing zone.[8][51] The science payloads are, in part, supplied by international partners in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia.[52]

Relay satellite

[edit]

The primary function of the Queqiao relay satellite that is deployed in a halo orbit around the Earth–Moon L2 point is to provide continuous relay communications between Earth and the lander on the far side of the Moon.[34][50]

The Queqiao launched on 21 May 2018. It used a lunar swing-by transfer orbit to reach the Moon. After the first trajectory correction maneuvers (TCMs), the spacecraft is in place. On 25 May, Queqiao approached the vicinity of the L2. After several small adjustments, Queqiao arrived at L2 halo orbit on 14 June.[53][54]

Additionally, this satellite hosts the Netherlands–China Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE), an instrument performing astrophysical studies in the unexplored radio regime of 80 kilohertz to 80 megahertz.[55][56] It was developed by the Radboud University in Netherlands and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The NCLE on the orbiter and the LFS on the lander work in synergy performing low-frequency (0.1–80 MHz) radio astronomical observations.[43]

Lunar lander

[edit]

The lander and rover carry scientific payloads to study the geophysics of the landing zone, with a life science and modest chemical analysis capability.[8][51][43] The lander is equipped with the following payloads:

• Landing Camera (LCAM), mounted on the bottom of the spacecraft, the camera began to produce a video stream at the height of 12 km (7.5 mi) above the lunar surface.
• Terrain Camera (TCAM), mounted on top of the lander and able to rotate 360°, is being used to image the lunar surface and the rover in high definition.
• Low Frequency Spectrometer (LFS)[43] to research solar radio bursts at frequencies between 0.1 and 40 MHz and to study the lunar ionosphere.
• Lunar Lander Neutrons and Dosimetry (LND), a (neutron) dosimeter developed by Kiel University in Germany.[57] It is gathering information about radiation dosimetry for future human exploration of the Moon, and will contribute to solar wind studies.[58][59] It has shown that the radiation dose on the surface of the Moon is 2 to 3 times higher than what astronauts experience in the ISS.[60][61]
• Lunar Micro Ecosystem,[62] is a 3 kg (6.6 lb) sealed biosphere cylinder 18 cm (7.1 in) long and 16 cm (6.3 in) in diameter with seeds and insect eggs to test whether plants and insects could hatch and grow together in synergy.[55] The experiment includes six types of organisms:[63][64] cottonseed, potato, rapeseed, Arabidopsis thaliana (a flowering plant), as well as yeast and fruit fly[65] eggs. Environmental systems keep the container hospitable and Earth-like, except for the low lunar gravity and radiation.[66] If the fly eggs hatch, the larvae would produce carbon dioxide, while the germinated plants would release oxygen through photosynthesis. It was hoped that together, the plants and fruit flies could establish a simple synergy within the container.[citation needed] Yeast would play a role in regulating carbon dioxide and oxygen, as well as decomposing processed waste from the flies and the dead plants to create an additional food source for the insects.[63] The biological experiment was designed by 28 Chinese universities.[67] Research in such closed ecological systems informs astrobiology and the development of biological life support systems for long duration missions in space stations or space habitats for eventual space farming.[68][69][70]

Result: Within a few hours after landing on 3 January 2019, the biosphere's temperature was adjusted to 24°C and the seeds were watered. On 15 January 2019, it was reported that cottonseed, rapeseed and potato seeds had sprouted, but images of only cottonseed were released.[63] However, on 16 January, it was reported that the experiment was terminated due to an external temperature drop to −52 °C (−62 °F) as the lunar night set in, and a failure to warm the biosphere close to 24°C.[71] The experiment was terminated after nine days instead of the planned 100 days, but valuable information was obtained.[71][72]

Lunar rover

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• Panoramic Camera (PCAM), is installed on the rover's mast and can rotate 360°. It has a spectral range of 420 nm–700 nm and it acquires 3D images by binocular stereovision.[43]
• Lunar penetrating radar (LPR), is a ground penetrating radar with a probing depth of approximately 30 m with 30 cm vertical resolution, and more than 100 m with 10 m vertical resolution.[43]
• Visible and Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS), for imaging spectroscopy that can then be used for identification of surface materials and atmospheric trace gases. The spectral range covers visible to near-infrared wavelengths (450 nm - 950 nm).
• Advanced Small Analyzer for Neutrals (ASAN), is an energetic neutral atom analyzer provided by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF). It will reveal how solar wind interacts with the lunar surface, which may help determine the process behind the formation of lunar water.[57]

Cost

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According to the deputy project director, who would not quote an exact amount, "The cost (of the entire mission) is close to building one kilometer of subway."[73] The cost-per-kilometre of subway in China varies from 500 million yuan (about US$72 million) to 1.2 billion yuan (about US$172 million), based on the difficulty of construction.[73]

Landing site

[edit]

The landing site is within a crater called Von Kármán[8] (180 km (110 mi) diameter) in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon that was still unexplored by landers.[9][74] The site has symbolic as well as scientific value. Theodore von Kármán was the PhD advisor of Qian Xuesen, the founder of the Chinese space program.[75]

The landing craft touched down at 02:26 UTC on 3 January 2019, becoming the first spacecraft to land on the far side of the Moon.[76]

The Yutu-2 rover was deployed about 12 hours after the landing.[77]

The selenographic coordinates of the landing site are 177.5991°E, 45.4446°S, at an elevation of -5935 m.[78][79] The landing site was later (February 2019) named Statio Tianhe.[7] Four other lunar features were also named during this mission: a mountain (Mons Tai) and three craters (Zhinyu, Hegu, and Tianjin).[80]

Images of Chang'e 4 landing site

• A view of landing site, marked by two small arrows, taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter on 30 January 2019[81]
• Chang'e 4 – Lander (left arrow) and Rover (right arrow) on the Moon surface (NASA photo, 8 February 2019).[82]
• Chang'e 4 lander (center) and rover (west-northwest of lander) 6 months after landing.

Operations and results

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A few days after landing, Yutu-2 went into hibernation for its first lunar night and it resumed activities on 29 January 2019 with all instruments operating nominally. During its first full lunar day, the rover travelled 120 m (390 ft), and on 11 February 2019 it powered down for its second lunar night.[83][84] In May 2019, it was reported that Chang'e 4 has identified what appear to be mantle rocks on the surface, its primary objective.[85][86][87]

In January 2020, China released a large amount of data and high-resolution images from the mission lander and rover.[88] In February 2020, Chinese astronomers reported, for the first time, a high-resolution image of a lunar ejecta sequence, and, as well, direct analysis of its internal architecture. These were based on observations made by the Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR) on board the Yutu-2 rover while studying the far side of the Moon.[89][90]

International collaboration

[edit]

Chang'e 4 marks the first major United States-China collaboration in space exploration since the 2011 Congressional ban. Scientists from both countries had regular contact prior to the landing.[91] This included talks about observing plumes and particles lofted from the lunar surface by the probe's rocket exhaust during the landing to compare the results with theoretical predictions, but NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was not in the right position for this during the landing.[92] The Americans informed Chinese scientists about its satellites in orbit around the Moon, while the Chinese shared with American scientists the longitude, latitude, and timing of Chang'e 4's landing.[93]

China has agreed to a request from NASA to use the Chang'e 4 probe and Queqiao relay satellite in future American Moon missions.[94]

International reactions

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NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine congratulated China and hailed the success of the mission as "an impressive accomplishment".[95]

Martin Wieser of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics and principal investigator on one of the instruments onboard Chang'e, said: "We know the far side from orbital images and satellites, but we don't know it from the surface. It's uncharted territory and that makes it very exciting."[96]

Gallery

[edit] The first panorama from the far side of the Moon by Chang'e 4 lander, with the Yutu-2 rover

See also

[edit]

• Animals in space
• Plants in space
• Closed ecological system
• Exploration of the Moon
• List of missions to the Moon
• Luna 3, the first spacecraft to image the lunar far side
• List of artificial objects on the Moon

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External links

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chang'e 4.

• CLEP
• Data Release and Information Service System of China's Lunar Exploration Program Archived 10 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine
• China's Chang'e-4 mission lands on Moon's far side, snaps first image at Astronomy
• The scientific objectives and payloads of Chang'E4 mission

v t e Lunar rovers
Active	Yutu-2 (2019–present, on Chang'e 4)
Past	Lunokhod Lunokhod 0 (1A)† (1969) Lunokhod 1 (1970–1971, on Luna 17) Lunokhod 2 (1973, on Luna 21) Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle (1971, Apollo 15) LRV-2 (1972, Apollo 16) LRV-3 (1972, Apollo 17) CLEP Yutu (2013–2016, on Chang'e 3) Yidong Xiangji (2024, on Chang'e 6) Chandrayaan Pragyan† (2019, on Chandrayaan-2) Pragyan (2023, on Chandrayaan-3) Rashid Rashid† (2022–2023, on Hakuto-R Mission 1) CLPS Iris† (2024, on Peregrine Mission One) Colmena × 5† (2024, on Peregrine Mission One) JAXA Sora-Q† (2022–2023, on Hakuto-R Mission 1) LEV-1 (2024, on SLIM) LEV-2 (Sora-Q) (2024, on SLIM)
Planned	MoonRanger (2023) Chang'e 7 (Rashid 2) (2026) Lunar Terrain Vehicle TENACIOUS (on Hakuto-R Mission 2)
Proposed	ATHLETE Audi Lunar Quattro ×2 (PTScientists) Deep Space Systems ECA HERACLES Lunar Cruiser Luna-Grunt rover LUPEX rover Moon Diver Moon Express OrbitBeyond rover Polaris Scarab Space Exploration Vehicle Team Puli
Cancelled	Lunokhod 3 (1977) Resource Prospector VIPER
Related	Tank on the Moon (2007 documentary) List of missions to the Moon Mars rover Rover (space exploration) List of extraterrestrial rovers
Missions are ordered by launch date. Sign † indicates failure en route or before intended mission data returned.

v t e Lunar landing missions
Active	Crewed none Robotic Chang'e 4 Chang'e 6 IM-1 EagleCam SLIM
Past	Crewed Apollo 11 12 14 15 16 17 Robotic Chandrayaan-3 Chang'e 3 5 Luna 9 13 16 17 20 21 23 24 Surveyor 1 3 5 6 7
Failed	Apollo 13 Beresheet Chandrayaan-2 Hakuto-R M1 Luna 5 7 8 15 18 25 OMOTENASHI Peregrine Surveyor 2 4
Planned	Artemis Artemis III (2026) IV (2028) V (2030) VI (2031) VII (2032) CLEP 7 (2026) 8 (2028) CLPS Blue Ghost M1 (2024) M2 (2026) IM-2 (2025) IM-3 (2025) Luna-Glob Luna 27 (2028) 28 (2030) Others Beresheet 2 (SpaceIL, 2025) Hakuto-R M2 (ispace, 2024) M3 (2026)
Proposed	CLPS Redwire Draper Firefly Masten MoonEx OrbitBeyond McCandless

v t e Spacecraft missions to the Moon
Explorationprograms	American Apollo Artemis CLPS Lunar Orbiter Lunar Precursor Pioneer Ranger Surveyor Chinese Chang'e Indian Chandrayaan Japanese Japanese Lunar Exploration Program South Korean Danuri Russian Luna-Glob Soviet Crewed Luna Lunokhod Zond
Activemissions	Orbiters ARTEMIS CAPSTONE Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter Chang'e 5-T1 (service module) Danuri Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Queqiao 1 (relay satellite at L2) 2 Tiandu-1 2 ICUBE-Q Landers Chang'e 3 4 SLIM Rovers Yutu-2 Flybys ArgoMoon
Pastmissions	Crewed landings Apollo 11 12 14 15 16 17 (List of Apollo astronauts) Orbiters Apollo 8 10 Apollo Lunar Module Artemis I Chang'e 1 2 5 Chandrayaan-1 Chandrayaan-3 (propulsion module) Clementine Explorer 35 49 GRAIL Hiten LADEE Longjiang-2 Luna 10 11 12 14 19 22 Lunar Orbiter 1 2 3 4 5 Lunar Prospector PFS-1 PFS-2 SMART-1 SELENE (Kaguya, Okina, Ouna) Impactors LCROSS Luna 2 Moon Impact Probe Ranger 4 6 7 8 9 Landers Apollo Lunar Module ×6 Chang'e 5 6 Luna 9 13 16 17 20 21 23 24 Surveyor 1 3 5 6 7 Vikram (Chandrayaan-3) EagleCam IM-1 Rovers Lunar Roving Vehicle Apollo 15 16 17 Lunokhod 1 2 Yutu Pragyan (Chandrayaan-2) (Chandrayaan-3) LEV-1 LEV-2 (Sora-Q) Jinchan Sample return Apollo 11 12 14 15 16 17 Luna 16 20 24 Chang'e 5 6 Failed landings Beresheet Emirates Lunar Mission Hakuto-R M1 Luna 5 7 8 15 18 25 OMOTENASHI Surveyor 2 4 Vikram (Chandrayaan-2) Peregrine Mission One Flybys 4M Apollo 13 Chang'e 5-T1 Geotail Galileo ICE Longjiang-1 Luna 1 3 4 6 LunaH-Map Lunar Flashlight Lunar IceCube LunIR Mariner 10 NEA Scout Nozomi Pioneer 4 Ranger 5 STEREO TESS WMAP Wind Zond 3 5 6 7 8 PAS-22
Plannedmissions	Artemis Artemis II (2025) Lunar Gateway Artemis III (2026) Artemis IV (2028) Artemis V (2030) Artemis VI (2031) Artemis VII (2032) Artemis VIII (2033) CLPS Firefly Aerospace Blue Ghost (2024) IM-2 (2025) Lunar Trailblazer Luna-Glob Luna 26 (2027) Luna 27 (2028) Luna 28 (2030) Luna 29 (2030s) Luna 30 (2030s) Luna 31 (2030s) CLEP Chang'e 7 (2026) Chang'e 8 (2028) Chandrayaan Chandrayaan-4 (2027) Chandrayaan-5 (LUPEX) (2028) Others Hakuto-R M2 (2024) Beresheet 2 (2025) ispace M3 (2026) Lunar Pathfinder (2026) DESTINY+ (2028) Cislunar Explorers (2020s) CU-E3 (2020s) MoonRanger (2020s) Argonaut M1 (2031) International Lunar Research Station (2030s)
Proposedmissions	Robotic ALINA Artemis-7 Blue Moon BOLAS Garatéa-L ISOCHRON LunaNet Lunar Crater Radio Telescope McCandless Moon Diver Crewed DSE-Alpha Boeing Lunar Lander Lockheed Martin Lunar Lander Lunar Orbital Station
Cancelled /concepts	Altair Baden-Württemberg 1 #dearMoon project European Lunar Explorer First Lunar Outpost International Lunar Network LEO LK Lunar-A Lunar Lander Lunar Mission One Lunar Observer Lunokhod 3 MoonLITE MoonRise OrbitBeyond Project Harvest Moon Prospector Resource Prospector SELENE-2 Ukrselena XL-1 VIPER
Related	Colonization of the Moon Google Lunar X Prize List of lunar probes List of missions to the Moon List of artificial objects on the Moon List of species that have landed on the Moon Lunar resources Apollo 17 Moon mice Moon landing conspiracy theories Third-party evidence for Apollo Moon landings Apollo 11 anniversaries List of crewed lunar landers
Missions are ordered by launch date. Crewed missions are in italics.

v t e Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
China National Space Administration Chinese space program
Missions	Chang'e 1 (Oct 2007) Chang'e 2 (Oct 2010) Chang'e 3 (Dec 2013) Yutu rover Chang'e 5-T1 (Oct 2014) Queqiao (relay satellite, May 2018) Chang'e 4 (Dec 2018) Yutu-2 rover Chang'e 5 (Nov 2020) Queqiao 2 (relay satellite, Mar 2024) Tiandu 1 and 2 Chang'e 6 (May 2024) Chang'e 7 (2026) Chang'e 8 (2028)
Launch vehicles	Long March 3A Long March 3B Long March 3C Long March 5 Long March 8
Facilities	Xichang Satellite Launch Center Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site
People	Zhang Qingwei Ouyang Ziyuan Ma Xingrui Ye Peijian
Category Commons

v t e Chinese spacecraft
Earth observation	Double Star (joint with ESA) Fengyun Gaofen FSW Huanjing HY Jilin Shiyan SMMS TanSat Tansuo Tianhui Yaogan Ziyuan
Communication and engineering	Dong Fang Hong FH-1 Apstar APMT Asiasat ChinaSat ChinaStar HKSTG LGSP OlympicSat Qianfan Shijian Sinosat Tiantong 1 Tsinghua-1 Xiwang 1
Data relay satellite system	Queqiao and Queqiao 2 Tiandu 1 and 2 Tianlian Constellation
Satellite navigation system	BeiDou-1 BeiDou-2 Beidou-3
Astronomical observation	ASO-S CHASE DAMPE GECAM HXMT Kuafu Longjiang-2 Queqiao Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy Einstein Probe (joint with ESA) SST SVOM Xuntian SMILE
Lunar exploration	Chinese Lunar Exploration Program Chang'e 1 Chang'e 2 Chang'e 3 Yutu Chang'e 5-T1 Chang'e 4 Yutu-2 Chang'e 5 Chang'e 6 Chang'e 7 Chang'e 8
Planetary exploration	Yinghuo-1 Chang'e 2 Tianwen-1 Zhurong Shensuo Tianwen-2 Tianwen-3 Tianwen-4
Microsatellites	Fengniao Xinyan
Future spacecraft in italics.

v t e Chinese space program
China National Space Administration (CNSA) China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation China Manned Space Agency People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps
Spaceports and landing sites Jiuquan Taiyuan Wenchang Xichang Siziwang Banner (landing site) Launch vehicles Long March 1 Long March 2 Long March 3 Long March 3A Long March 3B Long March 3C Long March 4 Long March 4A Long March 4B Long March 4C Long March 5 Long March 6 Long March 7 Long March 8 Long March 9 (In development) Long March 10 (In development) Long March 11 Long March 12 Kuaizhou Kaituozhe Exploration programs Shuguang (cancelled) CMS (human spaceflight) Chang'e (lunar exploration) Tiangong (space station) Tianwen (interplanetary exploration)
Projects and missions Science Planetary science Chang'e 1 (2007–09) Chang'e 2 (2010–present) Yinghuo 1† (2011) Chang'e 3 (2013–present) Chang'e 5-T1 (2014–present) Yutu rover (2013–2016) Chang'e 4 (2018–present) Yutu-2 rover (2018–present) Tianwen-1 (2020–present) Chang'e 5 (2020–present) Zhurong rover (2021–present) Chang'e 6 (2024) Tianwen-2 (2025) Chang'e 7 (2026) Chang'e 8 (2028) Tianwen-3 (2028) Tianwen-4 (2029) Astronomy andcosmology DAMPE (2015–present) HXMT (2017–present) GECAM (2020–present) CHASE (2021–present) ASO-S (2022–present) Einstein Probe (2024–present) SVOM (2024–present) Xuntian (2026) Space Solar Telescope Earth observation CSES (2018–present) Double Star (2003–07) Gaofen Series (2013–present) Haiyang Series (2002–present) TanSat (2016–present) Yaogan Series (2006–present) Ziyuan Series (CBERS) (1999–present) SMILE (2025) Humanspaceflight Uncrewed expeditions Shenzhou 1 Shenzhou 2 Shenzhou 3 Shenzhou 4 Shenzhou 8 Crewed expeditions Shenzhou 5 Shenzhou 6 Shenzhou 7 Shenzhou 9 Shenzhou 10 Shenzhou 11 Shenzhou 12 Shenzhou 13 Shenzhou 14 Shenzhou 15 Shenzhou 16 Shenzhou 17 Shenzhou 18 (List of Chinese astronauts) Space laboratories and cargos Tiangong 1 (2011–2018) Tiangong 2 (2016–2019) Tianzhou 1 (2017) Tianzhou 2 (2021) Tianzhou 3 (2021) Tianzhou 4 (2022) Tianzhou 5 (2022) Tianzhou 6 (2023) Tiangong space station modules Tianhe (2021–present) Wentian (2022–present) Mengtian (2022–present)
Navigation	BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS)
Telecommunications	Apstar Series (1994–present) Chinasat Series (1994–present) Queqiao (2018–present) Tiandu 1 and 2 (2024–present) Tianlian I (2008–present) Tianlian II (2019–present) Qianfan (2024–present) Queqiao 2 (2024–present)
Technologydemonstrators	Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft (2020) FSW Program (1969–2006) QUESS (2016–present) Shijian Series (1971–present) XPNAV 1 (2016–present)
Related	Lanyue Lunar Lander
Future missions marked in italics. Failed missions marked with † sign

v t e Space telescopes
Operating	Radio and Microwave NCLE (since 2018) Solar Orbiter (since 2020) STEREO (since 2006) Queqiao (since 2018) Wind (since 1994) Queqiao 2 (since 2024) Infrared Odin (since 2001) SOLAR (since 2008) James Webb (since 2022) Optical Aoi (since 2018) Astrosat (since 2015) BRITE constellation (since 2013) CHASE (since 2021) CHEOPS (since 2019) DSCOVR (since 2015) Euclid (since 2023) Hayabusa2 (since 2021) Gaia (since 2013) HiRISE (since 2005) Hubble (since 1990) Hinode (Solar-B) (since 2006) NEOSSat (since 2013) Odin (since 2001) SDO (since 2010) SOHO (since 1995) SOLAR (since 2008) Swift (since 2004) TESS (since 2018) PROBA-3 (since 2024) Ultraviolet Aditya-L1 (since 2023) ASO-S (since 2022) Astrosat (since 2015) Hibari (since 2021) Hinode (Solar-B) (since 2006) IRIS (since 2013) SDO (since 2010) SOHO (since 1995) SOLAR (since 2008) Solar Orbiter (since 2020) STEREO (since 2006) Swift (since 2004) PROBA-3 (since 2024) X-ray and Gamma-ray CALET (since 2015) Chandra (AXAF) (since 1999) DAMPE (since 2015) Einstein Probe (since 2024) HXMT (Insight) (since 2017) INTEGRAL (since 2002) Fermi (since 2008) GECAM (since 2020) IXPE (since 2021) Spektr-RG (since 2019) SVOM (since 2024) Swift (since 2004) Max Valier Sat (since 2017) MAXI (since 2009) MinXSS-2 (since 2018) NICER (since 2017) NuSTAR (since 2012) LEIA (since 2022) XRISM (since 2023) XPoSat (since 2024) XMM-Newton (since 1999) Other (particleor unclassified) ACE (since 1997) AMS-02 (since 2011) CALET (since 2015) DAMPE (since 2015) IBEX (since 2008) ISS-CREAM (since 2017) Mini-EUSO (since 2019) SOHO (since 1995) Solar Orbiter (since 2020) STEREO (since 2006)
Planned	PETREL (2025) SPHEREx (2025) K-EUSO (2026) Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (2026) PLATO (2026) Xuntian (2026) COSI (2027) LORD (2027) NEO Surveyor (2027) JASMINE (2028) Solar-C EUVST (2028) ARIEL (2029) Spektr-UV (2030) UVEX (2030) Spektr-M (2030+) LiteBIRD (2032) Taiji (2033) Athena (2035) LISA (2035)
Proposed	Arcus Astro-1 Telescope AstroSat-2 EXCEDE Fresnel Imager FOCAL GSST-PMM HabEx HWO Hypertelescope ILO-1 iWF-MAXI JEM-EUSO LUCI LUVOIR Lynx Nano-JASMINE Nautilus Deep Space Observatory New Worlds Mission NRO donation to NASA ORBIS OST PhoENiX Solar-D Space Solar Telescope THEIA THESEUS
Retired	AGILE (2007–2024) Akari (Astro-F) (2006–2011) ALEXIS (1993–2005) Alouette 1 (1962–1972) Ariel 1 (1962, 1964) Ariel 2 (1964) Ariel 3 (1967–1969) Ariel 4 (1971–1972) Ariel 5 (1974–1980) Ariel 6 (1979–1982) ASTERIA (2017–2019) ATM (1973–1974) ASCA (Astro-D) (1993–2000) Astro-1 (1990) BBXRT HUT Astro-2 (HUT) (1995) Astron (1983–1991) ANS (1974–1976) BeppoSAX (1996–2003) CHIPSat (2003–2008) Compton (CGRO) (1991–2000) CoRoT (2006–2013) Cos-B (1975–1982) COBE (1989–1993) CXBN-2 (2017–2019) DXS (1993) EPOCh (2008) EPOXI (2010) Explorer 11 (1961) EXOSAT (1983–1986) EUVE (1992–2001) FUSE (1999–2007) Kvant-1 (1987–2001) GALEX (2003–2013) Gamma (1990–1992) Ginga (Astro-C) (1987–1991) Granat (1989–1998) Hakucho (CORSA-b) (1979–1985) HALCA (MUSES-B) (1997–2005) HEAO-1 (1977–1979) Herschel (2009–2013) Hinotori (Astro-A) (1981–1991) Hisaki (SPRINT-A) (2013–2023) HEAO-2 (Einstein Obs.) (1978–1982) HEAO-3 (1979–1981) HETE-2 (2000–2008) Hipparcos (1989–1993) ILO-X (2024) IRAS (1983) IRTS (1995–1996) ISO (1996–1998) IUE (1978–1996) IXAE (1996–2004) Kepler (2009–2018) Kristall (1990–2001) LEGRI (1997–2002) LISA Pathfinder (2015–2017) MinXSS (2015–2017) MOST (2003–2019) MSX (1996–1997) Mikhailo Lomonosov (2016–2019?) OAO-2 (1968–1973) OAO-3 (Copernicus) (1972–1981) Orbiting Solar Observatory OSO 1 OSO B OSO 3 OSO 4 OSO 5 OSO 6 OSO 7 OSO 8 Orion 1 (1971) Orion 2 (1973) PAMELA (2006–2016) PicSat (2018) Planck (2009–2013) RELIKT-1 (1983–1984) R/HESSI (2002–2018) ROSAT (1990–1999) RXTE (1995–2012) SAMPEX (1992–2004) SAS-B (1972–1973) SAS-C (1975–1979) Solwind (1979–1985) Spektr-R (2011–2019) Spitzer (2003–2020) Suzaku (Astro-EII) (2005–2015) Taiyo (SRATS) (1975–1980) Tenma (Astro-B) (1983–1985) Uhuru (1970–1973) Vanguard 3 (1959) WMAP (2001–2010) WISE (2009–2024) Yokoh (Solar-A) (1991–2001)
Hibernating (Mission completed)	SWAS (1998–2005) TRACE (1998–2010)
Lost/Failed	OAO-1 (1966) OAO-B (1970) CORSA (1976) CXBN (2012–2013) OSO C (1965) ABRIXAS (1999) HETE-1 (1996) WIRE (1999) Astro-E (2000) Tsubame (2014–2015) Hitomi (Astro-H) (2016)
Cancelled	Aelita AOSO Astro-G Constellation-X Darwin Destiny EChO Eddington FAME FINESSE GEMS HOP IXO JDEM LOFT OSO J OSO K Sentinel SIM & SIMlite SNAP SPICA SPOrt TAUVEX TPF XEUS XIPE
Related	Great Observatories program List of space telescopes List of proposed space telescopes X-ray telescope List of heliophysics missions List of planetariums Hubble (2010 documentary) Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine (2023 documentary)
Category:Space telescopes

v t e 21st-century space probes
Active space probes(deep space missions)	Sun Parker Solar Probe Solar Orbiter Aditya-L1 Moon ARTEMIS CAPSTONE Chandrayaan-2 Chang'e 3 Chang'e 4 (Yutu-2 rover) Chang'e 5 Danuri Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Queqiao Queqiao 2 Tiandu 1 and 2 Chang'e 6 ICUBE-Q Mars Emirates Mars Mission ExoMars TGO Mars Express 2001 Mars Odyssey MAVEN MRO MSL Curiosity rover Tianwen-1 Mars 2020 Perseverance rover Other planets BepiColombo Mercury Akatsuki Venus Juno Jupiter Juice Jupiter Europa Clipper Jupiter Minor planets Chang'e 2 Hayabusa2 / MINERVA-II Lucy New Horizons OSIRIS-REx Hera Psyche Interstellar space Voyager 1 Voyager 2
Completed after 2000(by termination date)	2000s 2001 NEAR Shoemaker Deep Space 1 2003 Pioneer 10 Galileo Nozomi 2004 Genesis 2005 Huygens 2006 Mars Global Surveyor 2008 Phoenix 2009 Chang'e 1 Ulysses Chandrayaan-1 SELENE LCROSS 2010s 2010 Hayabusa MER Spirit rover 2011 Stardust 2012 GRAIL 2013 Deep Impact 2014 LADEE Venus Express Chang'e 5-T1 2015 MESSENGER PROCYON IKAROS 2016 Rosetta / Philae Yutu rover ExoMars Schiaparelli 2017 LISA Pathfinder Cassini 2018 MASCOT Dawn Longjiang-1 2019 MarCO MER Opportunity rover Beresheet Longjiang-2 Chandrayaan-2 / Pragyan rover 2020s 2020 Chang'e 5 2022 Double Asteroid Redirection Test Mangalyaan InSight 2023 Hakuto-R Mission 1 Luna 25 Chandrayaan-3 / Pragyan rover Zhurong rover 2024 Peregrine Mission One Ingenuity helicopter SLIM IM-1
List of Solar System probes List of lunar probes List of extraterrestrial orbiters List of space telescopes

v t e ← 2017Orbital launches in 20182019 →
January	USA-280 / Zuma BeiDou-3 M7, BeiDou-3 M8 Cartosat-2F, ICEYE-X1, Microsat-TD, Arkyd-6A, Carbonite-2, Flock-3p' × 4, Fox-1D, Landmapper BC 3 v2, Lemur-2 × 4, PicSat, SpaceBEE × 4 USA-281 / Topaz-5 Jilin-1 Video-07, Jilin-1 Video-08, Kepler 0 KIPP USA-282 / SBIRS-GEO-4 Humanity Star, Dove Pioneer, Lemur-2 × 2 Yaogan 30-04 (3 satellites) SES-14, Al Yah 3 GovSat-1 / SES-16
February	Kanopus-V No. 3, No. 4, S-Net × 4 , Lemur-2 × 4 CSES, ÑuSat 4, 5 TRICOM-1R Falcon Heavy test flight (Tesla Roadster) BeiDou-3 M3, M4 Progress MS-08 Paz, Tintin A & B IGS-Optical 6
March	GOES-17 Hispasat 30W-6 O3b × 4 (FM13 to FM16) Soyuz MS-08 GSAT-6A EMKA / Kosmos 2525 BeiDou-3 M9, M10 Iridium NEXT 41–50 Gaofen-1-02, 03, 04
April	Dragon CRS-14, 1KUNS-PF, Irazú, UBAKUSAT Superbird-B3, HYLAS-4 Yaogan 31A, 31B, 31C, Weina 1B IRNSS-1I AFSPC-11, EAGLE Blagovest-12L / Kosmos 2526 TESS Sentinel-3B Zhuhai-1 × 5
May	Apstar 6C InSight, MarCO A, MarCO B Gaofen 5 Bangabandhu-1 Chang'e 4 Relay, Longjiang 1, Longjiang 2 Cygnus CRS OA-9E (EnduroSat One, EQUiSat, Lemur-2 × 4, RaInCube) Iridium NEXT 51–55, GRACE-FO 1, GRACE-FO 2
June	Gaofen-6 SES-12 Fengyun-2H Soyuz MS-09 IGS-Radar 6 GLONASS-M 756 / Kosmos 2527 XJSS A, B Dragon CRS-15 (Biarri-Squad × 3, BHUTAN-1, Maya-1, UiTMSAT-1)
July	PRSS-1, PakTES-1A BeiDou IGSO-7 Progress MS-09 Telstar 19V Galileo FOC 19–22 Iridium NEXT 56–65 BeiDou-3 M5, M6 Gaofen 11
August	Telkom-4 / Merah Putih Parker Solar Probe ADM-Aeolus BeiDou-3 M11, BeiDou-3 M12
September	HY-1C Telstar 18V ICESat-2 — SSTL S1-4, NovaSAR-1 BeiDou-3 M13, M14 Kounotori 7 Azerspace-2 / Intelsat 38, Horizons-3e CentiSpace-1-S1
October	SAOCOM 1A Yaogan 32A, 32B Soyuz MS-10 BeiDou-3 M15, M16 AEHF-4 BepiColombo HY 2B Lotos-S1 No. 3 / Kosmos 2528 Weilai-1 CFOSAT GOSAT-2, KhalifaSat, Diwata-2B, Stars-AO, AUTcube2
November	BeiDou-3 G1Q Kosmos 2529 / GLONASS-M 757 MetOp-C IRVINE01, Lemur-2 × 2 GSAT-29 Es'hail 2 Progress MS-10 Cygnus NG-10 BeiDou-3 M17, BeiDou-3 M18 Shiyan 6-01 Mohammed VI-B HySIS, Blacksky Global 1, FACSAT-1, Flock-3r × 16, Kepler 1 CASE, Lemur-2 × 4 Kosmos 2530 / Strela-3M 16, Kosmos 2531 / Strela-3M 17, Kosmos 2532 / Strela-3M 18
December	Soyuz MS-11 SHERPA, Blacksky Global 2, Capella 1, ESEO, Eu:CROPIS, FalconSAT 6, ICEYE X2, SkySat 14, SkySat 15, STPSat 5, ENOCH, Flock-3s × 3, IRVINE02, Landmapper BC 4, MinXSS-2, Orbital Reflector, PW-Sat 2, SpaceBEE × 3 GSAT-11, GEO-KOMPSAT 2A SpaceX CRS-16 (TechEdSat 8, UNITE) Chang'e 4 (Yutu-2) CubeSail, RSat-P, STF-1 GSAT-7A CSO-1 Kosmos 2533 / Blagovest-13L USA-289 / GPS IIIA-01 Kanopus-V No. 5, No. 6, Flock-3k × 12, Lemur-2 × 8, Lume-1 Yunhai-2 01 (6 satellites)
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ).Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).

v t e 2018 in space
« 2017 2019 »
Space probelaunches	TESS (lunar flyby; Apr 2018) Queqiao (mission to the Moon; May 2018) InSight / Mars Cube One (mission to Mars; May 2018) Parker Solar Probe (solar space mission; Aug 2018) BepiColombo (mission to Mercury; Oct 2018) Chang'e 4 / Yutu-2 (mission to the Moon; Dec 2018)
Impact events	2018 LA Kamchatka meteor
Selected NEOs	Asteroid close approaches 2010 WC9 2017 VR12 2017 YE5 2017 YZ1 2018 AH 2018 BD 2018 BF3 2018 CB 2018 CC (276033) 2002 AJ129 (505657) 2014 SR339 2018 CF2 2018 CL 2018 CN2 2018 CY2 2018 DV1 2018 GE3 2018 PD20 2018 LF16 2018 WV1 (163899) 2003 SD220
Exoplanets	Gliese 1132 c possible exomoon Kepler-1625b I K2-141b K2-146b K2-148b K2-155d K2-229b K2-239b K2-239c K2-239d K2-288Bb Barnard's Star b (refuted in 2021) EPIC 211945201 b HD 89345 b KELT-21b NGTS-3Ab
Discoveries	LSPM J0207+3331 VVV-WIT-07 MACS J1149 Lensed Star 1 10 moons of Jupiter 541132 Leleākūhonua (announced) Hyperion proto-supercluster 2MASS J18082002−5104378 Farout (2018 VG18) FarFarOut (2018 AG37 first imaged) AT2018hyz SN 2018cow
Novae	V357 Muscae (Nova Muscae) V906 Carinae (Nova Carinae) V392 Persei (Nova Persei)
Comets	C/2017 T1 (Heinze) C/2017 U7 C/2018 C2 (Lemmon) 37P/Forbes 66P/du Toit 64P/Swift–Gehrels 38P/Stephan–Oterma C/2018 F4 (PanSTARRS) C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto) 46P/Wirtanen
Space exploration	Hayabusa2 (asteroid Ryugu arrival; Jun 2018) Kepler retirement (Oct 2018) InSight (Mars landing; Oct 2018) Dawn retirement (Nov 2018) OSIRIS-REx (asteroid Bennu arrival; Dec 2018) Voyager 2 (enters interstellar space; Dec 2018) New Horizons (encounter with 486958 Arrokoth; Dec 2018 / Jan 2019)
Outer space portal 2017 in outer space — 2018 in outer space — 2019 in outer space

v t e 2019 in space
« 2018 2020 »
Space probelaunches	Beresheet (lunar lander; Feb 2019) LightSail 2 (solar sail demonstration; Jun 2019) Chandrayaan-2 / Vikram / Pragyan (lunar obiter, lander and rover; Jul 2019)
Impact events	Kamchatka meteor (announced) 2019 MO
Selected NEOs	Asteroid close approaches 2018 XB4 2019 AS5 2016 AZ8 66391 Moshup 2019 OK 1620 Geographos 2006 QV89 2100 Ra-Shalom 2019 SU3 2019 TA7 2019 UN13
Exoplanets	AD Leonis b Beta Pictoris c DS Tucanae b Gliese 251 c Gliese 357 d Gliese 588 b c Gliese 687 c Gliese 555 b Gliese 754 b Gliese 784 b HR 5183 b Kepler-47d confirmed K2-288Bb L 1159-16 b c d LP 816-60 b LTT 1445 Ab Luyten's Star d e PDS 70c Proxima Centauri c Struve 2398 Bb Bc Tau Ceti i (hypothesized) Teegarden's Star b c V1298 Tauri b c d e Wolf 359 b c
Discoveries	2019 AQ3 ASASSN-19bt AT2019qiz GRB 190114C EPIC 204376071 GW190412 GW190521g (first-ever light from bh-bh merger) GW190814 (first-ever "mass-gap" collision) J043947.08+163415.7 K2-18b water vapor M87* imaged PSR J0030+0451 mapped PSR J0740+6620 S5-HVS1 2I/Borisov 20 moons of Saturn WD 0145+234 detection of exoasteroid disruption WD J0914+1914
Comets	C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto) 78P/Gehrels 168P/Hergenrother 163P/NEAT 138P/Shoemaker–Levy 171P/Spahr 289P/Blanpain
Space exploration	New Horizons (encounter with 486958 Arrokoth; Dec 2018 / Jan 2019) Chang'e 4 / Yutu-2 (landing on the far side of the Moon; Jan 2019) Opportunity (end of mission; Aug 2018 / Feb 2019) Hayabusa2 (departure from 162173 Ryugu; Dec 2019)
Outer space portal Category:2018 in outer space — Category:2019 in outer space — Category:2020 in outer space

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