Chinese lunar rover and lander prepare for 14 days of frigid night on the moon

China has been successful so far in its first mission to the moon. The Chinese launched their moon mission, which landed on the moon on December 14. Both the Yutu Rover and the Chang'e-3 lander have functioned as designed so far. One of the biggest tests for both the pieces of Chinese equipment is set to begin soon.


Night on the moon is very harsh and a full lunar night lasts 14 earth days. The temperatures on the moon can get as low as -180 degrees during the lunar night. The problem is that temperatures that cold can damage the sensitive electronics inside the Chinese lander and rover.

To help prevent any damage from the frigid lunar night, the Chinese equipment will go into hibernation mode. The lander and the rover went into hibernation mode shortly after landing to avoid damage from direct solar radiation, and survived. The Chinese tested the rovers to the best of their ability while on Earth, but the real challenge comes in the incredibly cold temperatures on the surface of the moon during the lunar night.

The only way to know if the Chinese probes have made it through the cold lunar night, is if they start back up when it's over. To help keep the sensitive electronics from getting too cold, both the lander and the rover have a radioisotopic heat source inside a sealed compartment to keep the electronics at a temperature of 40C. Both probes should start back up on January 12, 2014.




SOURCE: InventorSpot

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Battlefield 4 banned in China

The first-person shooter Battlefield 4 has had its fair share off odd events since the dawn of its arrival, but this newest China-based oddity has to take the cake. Due to the supposed discrediting of China’s national image in the futuristic plot line of the game, Battlefield 4 has been banned from sale as of this week. As quick as possible, says the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the game is to be removed from physical shelves as well as all China-based online sales channels.

Those that’ve already downloaded the game in China will be unable to access any online content and are encouraged to delete the game from their consoles and PCs. The Chinese Ministry of Culture suggests that Battlefield 4 is “an illegal game, with content that endangers national security, and is all about a cultural invasion.”

    ”Battlefield 4 relevant available downloads, patches, news, and other requirements [shall be] deleted within 24 hours.” - Chinese Ministry of Culture

Apparently the bit in the game where American soldiers must march into China to help in a state of social instability is not entirely welcome as a possible futuristic outcome in the country at the moment.

Outside of China you’ll find Ballefield 4 to have gotten a sorely needed patch for Xbox One earlier this month. There’s been some not-so-kind action on the PS4 with DDoS attacks, and otherwise news has been positive.

Take a hook down to the Battlefield search portal here on SlashGear for more action through the past as well. As one of the most popular break-out titles for both the PS4 and the Xbox One here at the start of this generation, you can expect a whole lot more through the future as well!





VIA: CTech, CCTV

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China's Jade 'Rabbit Moon' rover sends back first photos

China’s Chang’e-3 lander and Jade Rabbit rover launched Dec. 1 and landed on the moon yesterday without incident, and now we’re getting footage of the event. The photos and videos show the moon up close and personal. We’re also seeing shots of both robots on the moon, apparently in full working order.

Chang’e-3 soft-landed on the lunar surface yesterday evening at 9:00 p.m. Beijing time. Below is a video of the lander’s controlled descent from the top-down perspective. Each pockmark of the moon is visible.

The pair waited a few hours before the rover rolled out at 4:35 a.m. Beijing time. Its exit was slow and careful as per the mission design. Check out the video footage below. The audio is keyed into mission control, where you can hear their applause of the team near the end of the reel.

The robots took some photos of each other for your higher-resolution enjoyment. The top image of this article is of the lander as taken by the rover. The one below is the reverse case. The images were released by China’s Beijing Aerospace Control Center today. They come to us here by way of the BBC.



SOURCE: BBC

SOURCE: Slashgear

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