China launches satellite to explore dark side of moon - Xinhua

[webfact]

China launches satellite to explore dark side of moon - Xinhua

 

 

China launches the Queqiao satellite to further exploration of the dark side of the moon. No reporter narration.

 

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China launched a relay satellite early on Monday designed to establish a communication link between earth and a planned lunar probe that will explore the dark side of the moon, the official Xinhua news agency said.

 

Citing the China National Space Administration, Xinhua said the satellite was launched at 5:28 a.m. (2128 GMT Sunday) on a Long March-4C rocket from the Xichang launch centre in the southwest of the country.

 

"The launch is a key step for China to realise its goal of being the first country to send a probe to soft-land on and rove the far side of the moon," Xinhua quoted Zhang Lihua, manager of the relay satellite project, as saying.

 

It said the satellite, known as Queqiao, or Magpie Bridge, will settle in an orbit about 455,000 km (282,555 miles) from earth and will be the world's first communication satellite operating there.

 

China aims to catch up with Russia and the United States to become a major space power by 2030. It is planning to launch construction of its own manned space station next year.

 

However, while China has insisted its ambitions are purely peaceful, the U.S. Defense Department has accused it of pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations from using space-based assets during a crisis.

 

(Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-05-21

[PREM-R]

The Moon, soon to be referred to as: "The Lunar Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China"

[ballpoint]

My head explodes with dark forebodings.

[nausea]

I think Nostradamus predicted that a slant-eyed race from the East would take over the world, and the Moon too it seems. Good luck to them. This dominance of Western civilisations has always been an aberration in the general scheme of things, a flash in the pan as they say. We're barbarians at heart - those goddamned Greeks started this. I'd be quite happy raping and pillaging if it wasn't for all those moral strictures. Ha!

[balo]

They are looking for cheese , plenty of it on the dark side. 

 

 

 

 

 

[HLover]

The rocket is named Pink Floyd.

[meechai]

They should say "The Far Side Of The Moon" (side that does not face earth)

Otherwise folks will believe there is a side that does not get any sun ?

Edited May 22, 2018 by meechai

[atyclb]

decades too late.  pink floyd already did it

[AsiaHand]

16 hours ago, HLover said:

The rocket is named Pink Floyd.

Yes,We have already been there with Floyd

[attrayant]

Imagine their faces when they get there and discover there is no "dark side of the moon".

[Morch]

I can't think of anything to say except...
I think it's marvelous! HaHaHa!

[balo]

We can all laugh now but when they return with pictures of an alien population on the dark side of the moon, China will be laughing at us.  

 

 

 

 

[Dexlowe]

When they find Hitler, think of the propaganda value.