Commentary: Reaching moon's far side starts new space odyssey

Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-12 15:40:35|Editor: Li Xia
Video PlayerClose

by Xinhua writer Yu Fei

BEIJING, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chang'e-4's journey to the far side of the moon marks another remarkable achievement in China's space exploration, and will contribute to better understanding of the moon, the earth and the cosmos.

As nearest heavenly body, the moon has fascinated humankind since we first gazed at the sky. The silver disc in the sky is a key protagonist in our legends, myths and dreams. Its ever-changing face has inspired ambitious aspirations.

We admire its beauty from earth, so why are we so eager to reach the moon?

It's a link between us and the universe. It inspires our imaginations and dreams of space travel. The moon is still the only extraterrestrial destination visited by human beings.

The moon shares a violent early history with earth. Without the moon, life on earth might be very different. And we might see our past and future through exploration of the moon.

Because of the tidal locking effect, we only see one side of the moon from earth, and the far side remains a mystery. It's also called the dark side, although it's not darker than the near side. The word "dark" only shows how we feel about the unknown.

Mark Twain said everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.

Nobody had ever seen the far side of the moon before the Soviet Union launched the Luna 3 probe in 1959. It was the first-ever mission to photograph the far side.

The United States Apollo 8 mission sent three astronauts around the moon in 1968, the first time humans saw the moon's far side with their own eyes.

Now China has sent the first-ever probe to soft-land and rove on the far side.

To date, the world has launched about 130 manned or unmanned missions to the moon. Early exploration was dominated by the space race between the United States and Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s. After a lull, new interest was triggered in the 1990s when scientists found there might be water on the moon.

In 2007, exploration entered a new era, with countries such as China, Japan and India joining the lunar exploration club. Cutting-edge technologies in the fields of carrier rockets, navigation, communication and detection have been applied and will surely reap more discoveries.

Scientific research currently focuses on the origin and evolution of the moon, its current situation and lunar resources. Astronomers regard it as an ideal place to peer into the deep reaches of the cosmos.

Scientists also want to study the lunar environment, and whether people can live on the moon and the physical and psychological effects of living there. The study might help migration to other planets in future.

Flying to the moon has been a dream of Chinese since ancient times. The moon has long been a major theme in Chinese poems, music and paintings, with artists and writers using the moon to express their emotions and thoughts on the universe.

Since the 1990s, Chinese scientists and engineers have endeavored to make the dream a reality.

In 2004, China started its lunar exploration program, named after the moon goddess Chang'e, who, in Chinese mythology, lived on the moon and was accompanied by a jade rabbit. The program includes orbiting and landing on the moon, and bringing samples back to earth.

Unlike the space race of the 1960s and 1970s, China is developing its program in a scientific and rational way. Its investment is within the scope of China's capabilities.

Although China is a latecomer in lunar exploration, its program has made many achievements in a few expeditions and pushed forward the development of space technology, science and applications.

China has made several milestones in its space programs. The first was the launch of its first satellite in 1970, and the second was China's first astronaut Yang Liwei's journey in space in 2003.

Exploring the moon, about 400,000 km from earth, is the third milestone.

After the Chang'e-3 probe accomplished China's first soft-landing on the moon in 2013, Chinese space experts aimed high to make the Chang'e-4 mission more innovative and challenging: to realize the first-ever soft-landing on the far side of the moon.

In order to achieve that goal, China sent a relay satellite, named Queqiao, meaning Magpie Bridge, after an ancient legend, to the halo orbit around the second Lagrangian (L2) point of the earth-moon system to set up a communication link between the earth and the moon's far side. It is the first communication satellite operating in that orbit.

Chinese space experts also overcame difficulties with the rugged terrain on the far side, and soft-landed the probe on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin with high precision.

China has become a major player in lunar exploration, which will benefit scientific research and improve understanding of the moon, the earth and the solar system.

The Chang'e-4 mission also carries instruments developed by scientists from Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, providing more opportunities for the world's scientists and combining human wisdom to explore the universe.

The idea of the halo orbit around the L2 point of the earth-moon system and deploying a satellite there as a communication link to the moon's far side was first proposed by U.S. scientists about half a century ago, but was realized by China.

Chinese space experts hope Queqiao will be able to assist other countries that intend to send probes to the far side of the moon within its life span.

Now China is drawing up plans to explore the polar regions of the moon, and inviting other countries to join in further expeditions.

From robotic to manned missions, from short to long-term, China's lunar exploration will go deeper. Chinese will leave their footprints on the surface of the moon in the foreseeable future.

Exploring the moon has inspired scientists and engineers; fascinated young and old; motivated young people to pursue scientific careers, not only in space, but also in the depths of the oceans, or in the nucleus of an atom.

Reaching the moon, the first outpost in deep space, is just the beginning of our space odyssey.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001377385291
乐发lv 大发app 凤凰彩票app 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 大发彩票 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ii下载入口 乐发ll 乐发v平台 乐发v官网 乐发lll 乐发lv入口 乐发iv首页 乐发ll登录 乐发lv 乐发lll安装 乐发lv 乐发登录入口 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票登录 网信彩票 彩神 彩神彩票官方网站 彩神彩票官网首页 彩神官方app下载安卓版 凤凰彩票登录 彩神v3 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 快3官网 网信彩票 快3app 网信彩票平台 百姓彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3app下载 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票 每日彩票 快3app 百姓彩票平台 幸运5分彩快3 快3彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 大发10分PK10 快3下载 网信彩票平台 网信平台官网 快3彩票官网app 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 大发彩票app下载 百姓彩票网站网址 彩神购彩平台 每日彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 彩神彩票购彩平台 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票app下载 彩神官方app下载安卓版 网信快三 一分快3 快三彩票购彩平台 凤凰彩票官方 彩神彩票 大发10分PK10 彩神v3 凤凰彩票登录 乐发lv 乐发∨Il 百姓彩票网站网址 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发lll安装 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 一分快3 百姓彩票网站网址 凤凰彩票app下载 大发10分PK10 乐发2 乐发app 凤凰彩票 大发彩票app 乐发登录入口 乐发ll登录 乐发v官网 乐发官网 大发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票购彩平台 彩神彩票 官方正规快三彩票平台 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 乐发lll 乐发ii下载入口 乐发彩票官方网站 凤凰彩票官方网站 凤凰快3 彩神彩票官网首页 1分快三平台 百姓彩票平台 凤凰彩票登录 幸运5分彩快3 彩神 乐发彩票 乐发 大发彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发lv 凤凰彩票app 乐发app 网信彩票平台 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 凤凰彩票app 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 凤凰彩票app 网信彩票平台 乐发彩票app下载 乐发lv 乐发app 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票安卓下载 大发彩票 乐发彩票app下载 网信彩票平台 乐发iv游戏平台 彩神彩票 乐发彩票中心 极速快3彩票平台 人人快三凤凰 大发彩票app 大发彩票大全 乐发彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 乐发app 酷天堂彩票平台 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票大厅 凤凰彩票app 极速快3彩票平台 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 大发彩票app 网信彩票用户 百姓快三 百姓彩票平台 乐发lv 乐发彩票app下载 彩信平台 网信彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 乐发∨Il 人人快三凤凰 凤凰彩票 凤凰快3 乐发ll官网 乐发彩票中心 正规快三送彩金平台 凤凰彩票官方 乐发ll 乐发 网信彩票 彩神彩票 彩神彩票官方网站 人人快三凤凰 乐发彩票 彩神彩票 乐发iv游戏平台 乐发彩票 大发彩票中心 凤凰彩票登录 凤凰彩票app 彩神彩票 大发彩票 乐发ll 大发彩票app 凤凰快3 凤凰彩票 彩神彩票 乐发ll 凤凰彩票 乐发lll 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 彩神彩票 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 盈彩网投资平台 大发官网 一分时时彩 乐发lv 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发app 彩神iv 大发彩票app 大小单双平台 一分pk10 乐发lv 快盈彩票 乐发官网 快彩彩票 百姓彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 网信彩票 乐发彩票中心 网信快3 乐发 彩神xl 三分快3 大发彩票 大发官网 乐发lll 快3平台 凤凰快3 乐发ll 全民彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 百姓彩票 乐发彩票 乐发彩票官方网站 大发彩票 乐发 分分快3 彩神vl 55世纪 55世纪 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 乐发lv welcome凤凰彩票 乐发ll 1分快3 彩神 彩神ll 1分快3官网 1分快3的平台 welcome凤凰彩票 三分快3 彩神x 彩神vl 凤凰彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发官网 乐发ll 乐发lll 乐发lv 大发彩票app 大发彩票 乐发 乐发彩票 乐发彩票中心 凤凰快3 乐发彩票 彩神xl 腾讯快3 大发彩票 彩神xl 大发彩票 乐发彩票 大发彩票app 快3平台 乐发 1分快3 乐发彩票 彩神x 凤凰快3 彩神xl 彩吧助手 大发彩票app 快3平台 大发排列3 彩神iv 彩神vl 乐发IV 彩神x 一分pk10 大发排列3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 一分pk10 凤凰彩票 乐发Vll 大发官网 乐发ll 大发彩票 乐发1 凤凰快3 彩神vl 乐发lx 百姓彩票 乐发VI 彩神x 乐发IV 极速快3 乐发 凤凰快3 网信快3 乐发lv 快3彩票 乐发app下载 三分快3 快三平台助手 乐发彩票ll 彩神iv 乐发lll下载 盈彩网投资平台 乐发Ⅲ 凤凰彩票大厅 乐发lv 乐发lv 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 大发彩票 大发彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 乐发ll 凤凰彩票app下载 凤凰彩票 凤凰彩票 乐发lv 彩神x 乐发 乐发ll 极速快3 乐发lv 乐发彩票中心 快3彩票 凤凰彩票大厅 彩神x 凤凰彩票app 分分快3 网信彩票 网盟彩票 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票 乐发 快彩彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 乐发彩票 快3平台 百姓彩票 大小单双平台 凤凰快3 彩神xl 一分pk10 乐发lv 三分快3 大发彩票 极速快3 乐发ll 网信彩票 乐发lv 全民彩票 凤凰彩票app下载 快盈彩票 大发彩票app 大发官网 凤凰彩票 彩神iv 大发彩票 网信快3 凤凰彩票 百姓彩票