“The key technologies for the first phase of the lunar exploration project have been basically solved, and we are ready to go.” Recently, in the office of the National Astronomical Observatory in Beijing, Ouyang Ziyuan, chief scientist of the China Lunar Exploration Project and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, accepted An exclusive interview with our reporter. He said excitedly that although the lunar exploration project is still waiting for the country to officially establish the project, relevant scientific and technological workers have been working on it for more than three years and have now actually entered the start-up stage of the lunar exploration project.
A large map of the moon's landforms hangs on one wall of the office. Academician Ouyang pointed to this color picture and told reporters that after the lunar exploration project is launched, we will be able to send China's lunar satellite into space within three years. Immediately afterwards, the Chinese lunar rover carrying the five-star red flag will also set foot on the moon.
The road to lunar exploration: flying over 380,000 kilometers in 10 days
After China’s lunar exploration plan was announced, people are concerned about how China will go on the road to lunar exploration. Academician Ouyang revealed to reporters for the first time that China's lunar satellite will enter the lunar orbit using a multi-stage propulsion method.
Generally speaking, there are two ways to put a lunar satellite into a lunar orbit. One is to rely on a launch vehicle to directly send the lunar satellite into a lunar orbit. The second is to first use a launch vehicle to send the lunar satellite into the earth's orbit, and then the lunar satellite relies on its own power to accelerate into the lunar orbit. Both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. At present, our country has basically decided to adopt the second method.
“The lunar exploration project will be much more complicated than space exploration such as launching earth satellites.” Academician Ouyang said, “If you think about it, the average distance between the earth and the moon is about 380,000 kilometers. How many times further than the current satellite that is farthest from the earth!" He pointed out that China's first lunar satellite will first be launched by a rocket and become a synchronous satellite of the earth, and then it will continue to accelerate itself with the rocket it carries to reach the third level. 2 cosmic speed, thereby escaping the Earth's gravity and entering the Earth-Moon transfer orbit. When approaching the moon, the lunar satellite must rely on the control rocket to push back, decelerate several times, and then be captured by the moon, thus becoming a lunar satellite. Finally, the satellite will basically remain in the lunar polar orbit at an altitude of 200 kilometers and orbit the moon. After the satellite is launched, it will fly nearly 380,000 kilometers until it approaches the moon. This process takes about 6-9 days.
Launching a lunar exploration satellite is only the first step in the entire lunar exploration project. Next, the lunar rover will be used to "soft land" on the moon and conduct field exploration on the moon. In the third stage, robots will be sent to the moon, samples will be taken from representative areas of the moon, and the samples will be brought back to the earth. Academician Ouyang said that the entire lunar exploration project will take more than 10 years to complete.
The Charm of Chang'e: Many Treasures in the Guanghan Palace
Academician Ouyang said that the whole world has begun to look at the moon closest to humans with new eyes. Now, people are gradually realizing that the moon is an extremely rich treasure house of resources. The most critical thing is that the energy on the earth is gradually depleting, and after the energy on the moon is developed, it is conservatively estimated to be enough for human beings to use for tens of thousands of years.
In ancient Chinese mythology, there is the Guanghan Palace where the fairy Chang'e lives on the moon, as well as the osmanthus tree and the Jade Rabbit. However, with the gradual implementation of China's lunar exploration project, the Chinese people's understanding and use of the moon will turn a new page.
There are currently more than 100 minerals known on the moon, 5 of which are not found on the earth. In the thick dust on the surface of the moon, there is a very important energy source - helium 3. It is very rare on earth and is one of the main raw materials for controllable nuclear fusion. Currently, the international community is accelerating the construction of controllable nuclear fusion reactors. With 100 tons of helium-3 raw material, the electricity generated by a nuclear power plant is enough for the world to use for one year. It is estimated that the reserves of helium 3 on the moon are as much as 1 million to 5 million tons!
Return to the Moon: The Unique International Space Strategy
Since the Apollo moon landing program shocked the world, lunar exploration has been silent for decades. However, as scientists deepen their understanding of the moon and after the rare achievements in Mars exploration, countries around the world are once again turning their attention to their nearest friend, the moon. This is not only for the scientific purpose of human exploration of the universe, but also for economic interests. In the end, We must find a new path for the sustainable development of human society.
“We are going back to the moon and will stay there forever.” Former US President George H.W. Bush once made such a declaration.
In 1984, the United Nations adopted the "Agreement Guiding the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies" (referred to as the "Moon Treaty"), which stipulates that the moon and its natural resources are the common property of mankind and cannot be protected by any country. , groups and individuals shall not appropriate it as their own.
In fact, not only will the development of lunar resources bring huge economic benefits, but aerospace technology alone will drive social and economic development. The entire Apollo moon landing program in the United States obtained more than 3,000 patents, and the development of high-tech industries around the world in the 1970s and 1980s also benefited from this. According to statistics, every $1 invested in the Apollo program brought an average of $5 in benefits.
A new lunar exploration boom has arrived. The United States recently announced the "New Forward Lunar Exploration Plan", making it clear that future deep space exploration will focus on the moon; the European Space Agency plans to conduct lunar exploration in four stages before 2020, and will eventually complete the construction of a lunar base and astronauts Stationed in a permanent lunar base, the first lunar probe will be launched within this year; Japan plans to launch the "Luna" lunar probe next year; India has also proposed its own lunar exploration plan; even some private companies in the United States have joined the exploration Moon heat wave, plan to launch probe.
Lunar patrol trip: understanding a real moon
“For the first lunar exploration, we not only need to understand the topography of the moon, but also the distribution of resources and environment on the moon. "The situation." Academician Ouyang said that my country's launch of a lunar probe in three years will lay a solid foundation for the landing of a lunar rover in the future.
China's lunar satellite will be equipped with imaging spectrometers and other instruments to obtain three-dimensional images of the lunar surface and produce high-precision, large-scale, three-dimensional lunar maps. The United States has explored five resources including uranium and potassium on the moon, while my country will explore the detailed distribution of 14 resources on the moon.
One of the highlights of China’s lunar exploration plan is that the lunar probe softly landed on the moon and at the same time sent a lunar rover for inspection and exploration. The detection site will be delineated based on the precise "map" captured by the first-stage lunar satellite. The precise detection objects are the soil, rocks, and environment of the landing area. This will lay a solid foundation for the construction of a moon-based observatory and further lunar research.
Launching a lunar robot will be the climax of the lunar exploration project. Conduct on-the-spot exploration on the moon through lunar rovers, robots, etc., and collect extensive samples. Eventually, these precious lunar samples will be returned to Earth. After Chinese scientists fully study the samples, they will unveil a new member of our country's aerospace industry: manned landing on the moon and the establishment of a lunar base.