Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

 

More information has come to light regarding that hitchhiking mini-rover on China’s Chang’e-6 Moon sampling mission.

The little Chang’e-6 rover is named “Jinchan” and weighs roughly 11 pounds (5 kilograms) reports the China ‘N Asia Spaceflight website.

Carried by Chang’e-6 to the far side of the Moon, the tiny vehicle rolled into position and captured the lander and its outstretched robotic arm that gathered lunar specimens.

Autonomous, intelligent

In a recent story, the state-run Xinhua news agency said the device was an autonomous, intelligent mini-robot, developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

“After Chang’e-6 collected the samples on the far side of the Moon,” Xinhua reports, “the mini rover autonomously detached from the lander, moved to a suitable position, selected an ideal angle for the photograph, and then captured the image.”

Key materials

In pre-launch imagery of China’s Chang’e-6, the mini-rover with four wheels surprised many China space watchers.

A glimmer of information later came from a story via China’s Science Network (news.sciencenet.cn). It did note the presence of a Chang’e-6 lunar rover.

 

According to the article, the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (later referred to as Shanghai Institute of Ceramics) undertook the development of a number of key materials.

 

“The large-sized tellurium dioxide crystal developed by the Shanghai Silicate Institute has excellent acoustic and optical properties and is a key material to achieve a large field of view, high spatial and spectral resolution, and is used in the infrared imaging spectrometer of the Chang’e-6 lunar rover,” the story explains.

“The ultrasonic motor is the ‘helper’ that presses the shutter for the ‘Chang’e Family’ lunar rover’s infrared imaging spectrometer. Piezoelectric ceramics are the core material of the ultrasonic motor,” the story continues. “Following Chang’e-3, 4 and 5, the wide temperature range and highly stable piezoelectric excitation element developed by Shanghai Silicate Institute was successfully used in the Chang’e-6 ultrasonic motor.”

In a SegerYU X posting, this translation via Google:

“The Chang’e-6 lunar rover has solar panels on the other side, and there are cameras on both sides of the rover, so it can take pictures no matter which side it faces. The rover is fully autonomous and can be remotely controlled from the ground.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to this video showcasing the mini-rover at:

https://x.com/i/status/1807681698613858715

Clearly different

The sporty mini-snooper is far lighter and clearly different than China’s earlier Yutu-1 and Yutu-2 lunar rovers, each Yutu having six wheels and both loaded to their solar panels with lots of equipment.

China’s Chang’e-3 Moon lander let loose Yutu-1 in Mare Imbrium after its December 2013 arrival on the Moon. 

Yutu-2’s home turf after deployment by the Chang’e-4 lander in January 2019 is Von Kármán crater within the Moon’s south pole-Aitken basin. It is reportedly alive and well and still on the move.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to this video that shows the Chang’e-6 mini-rover at:

https://x.com/i/status/1806871243733557468

Also, go to this up-close look at the Chang’e-6 returner capsule at:

https://x.com/i/status/1806870751385141461