News from May 23, 2018
This past Monday, 21st May 2018, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) lauched their communication satellite Queqiao (‘Bridge of Magpies’) to the far side of the Moon. The landing of the rover Chang’e-4 at the Moon’s South Pole, whose communication with Earth is secured by Queqiao, will follow before the end of this year. The exploration of the far side of the Moon is a joint project with the Netherlands, who developed the Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE) on board Queqiao. Although photographs of the far side of the Moon have been taken before, it has never been explored. Furthermore, China’s Moon exploration program intends to conduct the first manned Moon mission by 2030.