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China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

planetary.org

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Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#171

Post by computerex »

bluGill wrote: post #144
computerex wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> These are not seminal moments in space history. Intercepting a 20 km object in the Kuiper Belt, the farthest body ever explored by mankind, isn't seminal? This also happens to be the first encounter with a planetesimal. It gives us a unique window into planetary formation. This is a very huge accomplishment.

Correct, but the average person doesn't care. They might have read about it and gone "neat", but they have already forgotten about it.

So what? The hell with the average person. You think the average person cares about any physics breakthroughs like gravity waves detection or breakthroughs in any other field? We don't define seminal moments by what the average person thinks about the science.

Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#172

Post by Simon_says »

XorNot wrote: post #19
golfer wrote: post #15

From the NYT article [0] on the topic: "We Chinese people have done something that the Americans have not dared try.” -- someone associated with the Chinese space agency Why so insecure? Not a good look. [0] https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/world/asia/china-change-4...

I'm pretty happy if China wants to throw shade at the US over space program accomplishments. I'd prefer a measuring contest over space accomplishments then building more earth-bound weapons systems.

What's the point of a measuring contest followed by building more weapons?

Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#173

Post by mturmon »

jackconnor wrote: post #3

The way they used the L2 point to lasso a relay satellite so they could transmit information from the rover on the far side is stunning too. This was really brilliant, China's space program has really become something.

The use of a relay is something less than "stunning" and "brilliant". The use of relay satellites when ground stations do not have line-of-sight to the primary spacecraft (or, when you have reduced bandwidth or other restrictive conditions) is standard practice. This concept is used to relay telemetry from Mars landers, for instance.

Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#174

Post by jackconnor »

mturmon wrote: post #173
jackconnor wrote: post #3

The way they used the L2 point to lasso a relay satellite so they could transmit information from the rover on the far side is stunning too. This was really brilliant, China's space program has really become something.

The use of a relay is something less than "stunning" and "brilliant". The use of relay satellites when ground stations do not have line-of-sight to the primary spacecraft (or, when you have reduced bandwidth or other restrictive conditions) is standard practice. This concept is used to relay telemetry from Mars landers, for instance.

You realize the words "stunning" and "brilliant" are subjective, right? Your "standard practice" here is both incredible AND the first time ever done in this scenario to achieve something brand new in space travel. Not sure why you need to tell people not to like things, but it's a really bad habit you should break.

Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#175

Post by jackconnor »

stcredzero wrote: post #7
jackconnor wrote: post #3

The way they used the L2 point to lasso a relay satellite so they could transmit information from the rover on the far side is stunning too. This was really brilliant, China's space program has really become something.

The way they used the L2 point to lasso a relay satellite So confusing to put it that way. No one has caught anything with a rope or a cable, as far as I know. Basically, they are orbiting a relay satellite around the L2 Lagrange point so that the relay has line of sight with both the landing point and Earth. Obviously, if it just sat at L2, the moon would be in between the relay and the Earth. Orbiting around Lagran…

If you read John Varley's Titan series or Neal Stephenson books like Seveneves they regularly call LaGrange points "L2", "L4", etc. I called it a lasso because, if you look at the diagram, it literally looks like a lasso.

Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#176

Post by riffraff »

xanipher wrote: post #110
rsynnott wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unless you're an ancient Greek, that isn't particularly surprising; it was not part of current traditions when used as the name of a spacecraft.

Learning about the gods of old greece and their stories is still part of the curriculum in a lot of European countries. I doubt most would think of the Moon Landing first.

I grew up watching Japanese anime which reference ancient Greek mythology.

Pollon[0], for example, focuses on a daughter of Apollo. I didn't even know the "man on the moon" thing was called Apollo until I was in high school.

[0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Pollon

Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#177

Post by ForrestN »

valgor wrote: post #147
ForrestN wrote: post #59

[flagged]

I was really surprised to see an article on HN about China that wasn't full of ignorant hate and racism in both the article and in the comments, but then down and the very bottom is your sole lonely comment. Stay true, freedom fighter.

[flagged]

Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#178

Post by stcredzero »

jackconnor wrote: post #175
stcredzero wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The way they used the L2 point to lasso a relay satellite So confusing to put it that way. No one has caught anything with a rope or a cable, as far as I know. Basically, they are orbiting a relay satellite around the L2 Lagrange point so that the relay has line of sight with both the landing point and Earth. Obviously, if it just sat at L2, the moon would be in between the relay and the Earth. Orbiting around Lagran…

If you read John Varley's Titan series or Neal Stephenson books like Seveneves they regularly call LaGrange points "L2", "L4", etc. I called it a lasso because, if you look at the diagram, it literally looks like a lasso.

If you read John Varley's Titan series or Neal Stephenson books like Seveneves they regularly call LaGrange points "L2", "L4", etc.

Never got around to Titan. I really liked Seveneves. I think Sonar Taxlaw is the most perfect woman, next to my wife. Nothing wrong with referring to L2, L4, L5...

I called it a lasso because, if you look at the diagram, it literally looks like a lasso.

Arrgh! That would be like when my grade school teacher called the LEM the "moonwalker" because it looked like it could walk around on the moon.

Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#179

Post by ucarion »

arduanika wrote: post #5

"...and if the dam breaks open many years too soon..." Perhaps interesting to note the origin of this name for spacecraft. The legend "Chang'e flies to the moon" (嫦娥奔月) lies behind the Mid-Autumn Festival (featuring mooncakes, as it were). Point is, the names of Chinese space missions are every bit as carefully steeped in tradition as, say, Mercury/Gemini/Apollo.

Are there any good sources on the Chinese space program's change in naming convention? It seems like the older programs have names like "Long March" or "The East is Red", but they've now converged to the more common tradition of using mythology/mysticism.

Re: China lands Chang'e-4 on far side of Moon

#180

Post by szappetx »

stcredzero wrote: post #155
789body wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a fine choice of words. It's just a coincidence.

No one is capturing anything with a rope or cable. It's a rotten choice of words.

For what it's worth, I'm from Texas where I see actual lassos somewhat regularly, and I perfectly understood the phrasing here. Maybe it's just a regional difference in how the word "lasso" is understood.
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