China shows off moon rover model before space launch

"China offered a rare glimpse into its secretive space programme
on Tuesday, displaying a model of a lunar rover that will explore
the moon's surface in an upcoming mission.

Beijing has ambitious space goals, including plans to send its
first probe to land on the moon by the end of this year, state
media reported in August.

The gold-coloured rover model, with six wheels and wing-like solar
panels, attracted admiring crowds at the opening of the China
International Industry Fair in Shanghai."

See:

http://www.france24.com/en/20131105-...e-space-launch

On Tuesday, November 5, 2013 10:02:20 AM UTC-8, wrote:
"China offered a rare glimpse into its secretive space programme

on Tuesday, displaying a model of a lunar rover that will explore

the moon's surface in an upcoming mission.



Beijing has ambitious space goals, including plans to send its

first probe to land on the moon by the end of this year, state

media reported in August.



The gold-coloured rover model, with six wheels and wing-like solar

panels, attracted admiring crowds at the opening of the China

International Industry Fair in Shanghai."



See:



http://www.france24.com/en/20131105-...e-space-launch

Unless it's situated on a sufficient slope of mostly naked basalt, such as the hillside of sufficiently sloping terrain or that of a crater wall with at least offering a 25% grade, as otherwise its traction via the limited surface tension isn't necessarily going to be adequate with those six wheels, at least not while upon any soft/non-compacted locations where that moon-dust is tens of meters deep and micro fine as well as crystal dry and thereby unable to clump, that is unless its operating upon those Apollo monochromatic soil composites of perhaps paramagnetic plus magnetic properties that are simply offering extremely high values of natural magnetic binding.

Its 30 degree slope or 33% grade capability should allow it to operate where the lunar soil isn't quite so deep. However, if it ever digs itself in, it probably isn't configured for digging itself out. Perhaps this is just one of several prototypes.

In article ,
says...

"China offered a rare glimpse into its secretive space programme
on Tuesday, displaying a model of a lunar rover that will explore
the moon's surface in an upcoming mission.

Beijing has ambitious space goals, including plans to send its
first probe to land on the moon by the end of this year, state
media reported in August.

The gold-coloured rover model, with six wheels and wing-like solar
panels, attracted admiring crowds at the opening of the China
International Industry Fair in Shanghai."

See:

http://www.france24.com/en/20131105-...e-space-launch

So the Chinese are essentially duplicating what the Russians did with
their Lunokhod program in the 1960's. Of course the rover should be
more sophisticated, technologically, than the Russian rovers, so
hopefully they'll provide more scientific data than the Russians
gathered 50 years ago.

Jeff
--
"the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would
magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper
than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in
and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer

On Wednesday, November 6, 2013 4:45:43 AM UTC-8, Jeff Findley wrote:
In article ,

says...



"China offered a rare glimpse into its secretive space programme

on Tuesday, displaying a model of a lunar rover that will explore

the moon's surface in an upcoming mission.



Beijing has ambitious space goals, including plans to send its

first probe to land on the moon by the end of this year, state

media reported in August.



The gold-coloured rover model, with six wheels and wing-like solar

panels, attracted admiring crowds at the opening of the China

International Industry Fair in Shanghai."



See:



http://www.france24.com/en/20131105-...e-space-launch



So the Chinese are essentially duplicating what the Russians did with

their Lunokhod program in the 1960's. Of course the rover should be

more sophisticated, technologically, than the Russian rovers, so

hopefully they'll provide more scientific data than the Russians

gathered 50 years ago.



Jeff

--

"the perennial claim that hypersonic airbreathing propulsion would

magically make space launch cheaper is nonsense -- LOX is much cheaper

than advanced airbreathing engines, and so are the tanks to put it in

and the extra thrust to carry it." - Henry Spencer

Obtaining actual live and objective Science about the topography and geology of our physically dark, extremely dusty and crystal dry as well as mostly paramagnetic and UV reactive moon that isn't monochromatic, plus everything as being highly ionized and otherwise giving off those pesky X-rays and gamma, would certainly be a first.