China's lunar probe soft-lands on moon

Xinhuanet ^

[Lx]

Is China a signatory to this stupid UN resolution?

The exploration and use of outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development, and shall be the province of all mankind.

Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall be free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with international law, and there shall be free access to all areas of celestial bodies. There shall be freedom of scientific investigation in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, and States shall facilitate and encourage international co-operation in such investigation.

UN outer space treaty

[KingLudd]

Right. Where’s the proof?

[tet68]

BBC reports rover deployed, pictures of rover and lander
expected Sunday.

[RC one]

That’s pretty cool China. We have mobile semi autonomous remote control cars/labs on Mars.

[dr_lew]

Sinus Iridium (Latin for "Bay of Rainbows") is a plain of basaltic lava that forms a northwestern extension to the Mare Imbrium.

[steve86]

[KingLudd]

First to call “faked in a Beijing film studio.”

[Seaplaner]

Post of day!

[LeoWindhorse]

Mare Imbrium is such a well defined Mare . I admire it when I look at it . Didn’t know there were sub parts of it

[dr_lew]

It's a sort of an add-on, really a separately formed feature, as it appears. ( and oops, that's Sinus IRIDUM . ) Here's an excellent view with the sun angle just right to see Cassini's "Lady in the Moon". She's at the lower right peering towards the upper left.

[dr_lew]

Kind of looks Chinese, doesn't it?

Here's "the old surveyor" ... which looks like a piece of junk!

The LM had some class, though.

[dr_lew]

The funny thing is that it didn't land in Sinus Iridum after all. I noticed this in the 10 minute video clip from CCTV showing the deployment of the rover. Around 10:05 there's a brief shot of the control room with a big screen, and you can make out the apparent mark of the landing spot on the right side. The position matches the coordinates and interactive map given in the Yutu (rover) Wikipedia article ( bottom of box on right side. )

Here are three screen shots of the deployment, the control room screen, and the interactive map from Wikipedia. ( Of course, the red spot marks the landing site. )

On the control room screen the big rectangle apparently marked the zone of possible landing sites, and it heavily overlaps Sinus Iridum. I suppose that the actual spot depended on the timing of the landing as it was in polar orbit.

[LeoWindhorse]

wow ! I see her

I am going to set up my 8” schmidt cassegrain and take a good look tonight .