Bold moon mission shows China's space ambitions
The Chinese Space Agency has gone where the Americans, Russians and Europeans have yet to go, says Sky's Thomas Moore.
Thursday 3 January 2019 15:59, UK
Landing on the far side of the moon is a giant leap for China.
It's the first time the Chinese Space Agency has gone where the Americans, Russians and Europeans have yet to go - a genuine and impressive first.
It's taken careful planning, including positioning a satellite in a particular orbit that allows it to relay signals to the far side that would otherwise be blocked by the bulk of the moon.
But now it's over to the scientists.
The far side is markedly different to the hemisphere facing Earth. It's pockmarked by craters because it's more exposed to asteroids and it doesn't have the great lava plains we see.
The Chinese have chosen to land in the nine-mile-deep Von Karmen crater, a scar from an ancient impact that has punched through the crust and exposed rocks that would normally be hidden.
They may find minerals and other chemicals that tell us more about the origins of the moon, and which could also increase the likelihood of future mining missions.
Certainly, the Chinese are planning a follow up - Chang'e 5 - that will collect and return rock and dust samples to Earth for more comprehensive analysis.
The far side also allows scientists to analyse deep space in greater detail - the solar wind for example.
And one of the instruments on board will assess the far side's suitability for a radio telescope - shielded from the radio noise of Earth - that could peer much further out into space.
Make no mistake: this is a bold mission, and not just because of the science.
It also says a lot about China's ambitions in space.
For decades only the Americans and Russians explored the heavens. But China's growing confidence in its technology could put Taikonauts on the moon by 2030.
International treaties stipulate that space is free for all nations to explore and no country can make a sovereign claim on the moon, even if they plant a flag.
So Chang'e 4 isn't about claiming rights or territory. This is about presence.
It says something about a nation when it invests in exploration, gathers data and tries to understand the solar system we inhabit.
As long as the Chinese share their findings, the Americans, Russians and Europeans will welcome them on the celestial stage.