Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

cbc.ca

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 78 posts

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#21

Post by oftenwrong »

lutusp wrote: post #2

This is a shame, but most people -- even in space programs -- don't appreciate how cold the Moon's shaded areas become. It's now estimated that these areas get to 26 Kelvins -- that's 26 degrees above absolute zero. To get a sense of how cold this is, Pluto's average surface temperature is seven degrees warmer . Also consider that, because of the specifics of the Moon's orbit, a given area stays shaded for just over…

>To get a sense of how cold this is, Pluto's average surface temperature is seven degrees warmer.

That doesn't give me a good sense because I have no idea how Pluto's average surface temperature compares to typical on-Earth temperatures that I have experienced. This gives me a better sense:

26 K = -247.2 C

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#22

Post by bane »

AceJohnny2 wrote: post #18
njharman wrote: post #16

My biggest shock was "Why haven't I heard about this lunar rover before!?" I'm not news hound, but I do spend too much time on tech sites (HN/Reddit) that would report this. I remember years ago mention of China (and India) moon missions. But, really first man mad object to land in 37 years should have been blasted over most news sources. After shock... "Kick ass, we're (finally) getting back on the moon!"

It was definitely on the front page of all techie sites, including HN and Reddit. Many comments thereof lamented the lack of coverage by the mainstream media.

It even made the Daily Show with Patrick Stewart hilariously dressed up as the rover, slowly dying.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-february-4-2014/who-fr...

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#23

Post by seszett »

TrainedMonkey wrote: post #7
Scaevolus wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does China have the capabilities and reserves of radioactive material to make probes with RTGs?

Looks like it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Republic_of_Chi... They had capability to produce required material decades ago. They also have sufficient nuclear arsenal to warrant maintaining stockpiles of the stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_and_weapons_of_mass_destr...

You are confusing the Republic of China, commonly called Taiwan (which is the subject of your first link) with the People's Republic of China, which sent this robot to the moon.

Both of them have nuclear power though (but only PRC has nuclear weapons) and radioactive material in sufficient quantities.

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#24

Post by shitgoose »

oftenwrong wrote: post #21
lutusp wrote: post #2

This is a shame, but most people -- even in space programs -- don't appreciate how cold the Moon's shaded areas become. It's now estimated that these areas get to 26 Kelvins -- that's 26 degrees above absolute zero. To get a sense of how cold this is, Pluto's average surface temperature is seven degrees warmer . Also consider that, because of the specifics of the Moon's orbit, a given area stays shaded for just over…

>To get a sense of how cold this is, Pluto's average surface temperature is seven degrees warmer. That doesn't give me a good sense because I have no idea how Pluto's average surface temperature compares to typical on-Earth temperatures that I have experienced. This gives me a better sense: 26 K = -247.2 C

Is that with the windchill?

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#25

Post by cygwin98 »

bane wrote: post #22
AceJohnny2 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was definitely on the front page of all techie sites, including HN and Reddit. Many comments thereof lamented the lack of coverage by the mainstream media.

It even made the Daily Show with Patrick Stewart hilariously dressed up as the rover, slowly dying. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-february-4-2014/who-fr...

Not surprised. He has been bashing China for a while, which is the trending topic in the mainstream media anyway. Though I do wish some of the media agencies strike out of the group-thinking, and examine what NASA has been up to for the past decade, and what needs to be improved in terms of space exploration.

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#26

Post by nether »

njharman wrote: post #16

My biggest shock was "Why haven't I heard about this lunar rover before!?" I'm not news hound, but I do spend too much time on tech sites (HN/Reddit) that would report this. I remember years ago mention of China (and India) moon missions. But, really first man mad object to land in 37 years should have been blasted over most news sources. After shock... "Kick ass, we're (finally) getting back on the moon!"

A moon rover is a bit substantial for what constitutes "tech" these days. OTOH, you've probably read multiple stories on Flappy Bird.

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#27

Post by lafar6502 »

bane wrote: post #22
AceJohnny2 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It was definitely on the front page of all techie sites, including HN and Reddit. Many comments thereof lamented the lack of coverage by the mainstream media.

It even made the Daily Show with Patrick Stewart hilariously dressed up as the rover, slowly dying. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-february-4-2014/who-fr...

this episode was really stupid

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#28

Post by trekky1700 »

cygwin98 wrote: post #25
bane wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It even made the Daily Show with Patrick Stewart hilariously dressed up as the rover, slowly dying. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-february-4-2014/who-fr...

Not surprised. He has been bashing China for a while, which is the trending topic in the mainstream media anyway. Though I do wish some of the media agencies strike out of the group-thinking, and examine what NASA has been up to for the past decade, and what needs to be improved in terms of space exploration.

I haven't seen any trend of bashing China, unless of course reporting honestly is bashing.

NASA, despite its huge budget cuts, in the last decade has operated three rovers on Mars, landed one new one (via spectacular jet crane awesomeness). They've built new types of rockets, taken pictures of the universe, continued to do valuable research in science and space. Continued to be a major contributor to the ISS. And much much more.

I think the real question here is, where have you been for the last decade?

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#29

Post by reuven »

I found it quite appropriate that the referenced CBC article referred to it as a moon "buggy."

More seriously, I'm excited to see more countries, and more people in general, involved in space exploration.

I also think that instead of pointing to the rover's failure, we shout point to its success: Launching a rover to the moon and getting it to work in any way, shape, or form, is a pretty amazing triumph. Sure, the US did it several decades ago, but not all NASA missions were successful, and it's to be expected that you need a few iterations to get the bugs out.

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#30

Post by Buttons840 »

lutusp wrote: post #2

This is a shame, but most people -- even in space programs -- don't appreciate how cold the Moon's shaded areas become. It's now estimated that these areas get to 26 Kelvins -- that's 26 degrees above absolute zero. To get a sense of how cold this is, Pluto's average surface temperature is seven degrees warmer . Also consider that, because of the specifics of the Moon's orbit, a given area stays shaded for just over…

Fun bit of trivia: If a moon rover could maintain speed of about 11 miles per hour (17 Kilometers per hour) forever, it could circle the moon in 28 days, and would be moving fast enough to stay on the light side of the moon. That doesn't seem very fast, but with the moons low gravity and all.... You'd have to be doing science while catching big air.
Post reply on HN