Inside the Guanghan Palace, Chang'e-3 continues to create new miracles - Chang'e-3 lander's lunar surface work exceeds 100 lunar days

Surface capture lander

Telemetry reception is normal

Main backup power supply powered on

Solar wing unfolded

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A series of familiar spacecraft control processes come from the lunar surface. When everyone is cheering for the Chinese space station and astronauts, good news comes from the lunar surface again. At 14:44 on December 14, 2021, the Chang'e-3 lander was successfully awakened after its 100th lunar day. It once again silently refreshed the international record for the longest working time of a probe on the lunar surface and ushered in the 100th lunar day of work on the lunar surface.

On December 2, 2013, the Long March 3B carrier rocket launched the Chang'e 3 probe into space at the Xichang Launch Center in China. It entered orbit accurately and carried out scientific exploration of "surveying the sky, observing the earth, and measuring the moon" successively, completing China's first soft landing mission on an extraterrestrial body, and achieving the second strategic goal of the three-step lunar exploration project of "orbiting, landing, and returning".

The successful launch is only the first step in a long space journey for Chang'e-3 carrying the Yutu lunar rover. Every lunar day and every wake-up call thereafter will be a magnificent test.

Dangers surround us, miracles awaken

On October 1, 2017, at the critical moment of the 48th lunar day awakening, the station was hit by a sudden strong wind, the power supply line was interrupted, and the backup power supply equipment could not work. In addition, the risk of aging and failure of thermal control equipment due to long-term service has increased. If the awakening setting cannot be performed in time, the temperature of the equipment in the lander cabin will continue to rise, which may cause physical damage and even rupture of the two-phase fluid circuit pipeline, seriously affecting the safety of the lander platform.

The situation was critical and every second counted. The long-range team immediately prepared an emergency plan and contacted the observation station to keep abreast of the strong wind conditions. With the unremitting efforts of the long-range team and the observation station, the power supply was finally restored, the telemetry was successfully received, and the wake-up setting was completed without any danger. At this time, it had been a full 6 hours since the actual wake-up time of the lander. Finally, after all the efforts, the goddess of luck was favored.

Break through the darkness and see the dawn again

What brings darkness and cold to Chang'e-3 is not only the long moon nights, but also the threat of lunar eclipses. During a lunar eclipse, the moon is covered in darkness by the Earth, which is equivalent to adding a long period of no sunlight to the normal moon night. This may not only affect the power supply of the lander's solar panels and endanger the energy heart, but also cause irreversible effects on the thermal control system, causing Chang'e-3 to be permanently plunged into darkness.

Therefore, each lunar eclipse plan and each instruction operation must be repeatedly confirmed, and the status must be fully mastered, so that we can find a ray of light to awaken Chang'e 3 in the endless darkness and repeatedly refresh the survival record amid countless impossibilities.

Close-Y hatch

Shut down the lunar dust meter

Set up 4-way solar wing drive mechanism

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With careful control and unremitting efforts, the Chang'e-3 lander has safely survived 14 lunar eclipses so far. Although the darkness is long, the dawn always breaks through the gloom and comes again. This is a symbol of the strength of a great country and a reward for the hard work of the ground management team.

Overtime service, Moon Palace birthday star

The Chang'e-3 lander, which was designed to be an information bridge between the Earth and the Moon for only one year, has been telling us the beauty of the "Moon Palace" with its own data language for more than eight years, becoming a veritable "senior citizen" on the Moon. The Chang'e-3 lander can complete its long-term work, which is inseparable from the careful care of the long-term ground management team day and night.

As the Chang'e-3 lander woke up during the lunar day, the ground management personnel also began their busy work. From formulating plans, arranging plans, coordinating internal and external affairs, generating data, sending instructions, recording status, writing briefings to important control, expansion tests, emergency response, and fault analysis, the complex work has become a strong guarantee for protecting the lander.

As the moonlit night fell, Chang'e-3 fell into a deep sleep, but compared to the warm beds we sleep in, its bed is a vacuum environment of minus 180 degrees. Chinese researchers have continuously innovated and developed, and explored and designed a high-performance, high-tech thermal control system that brings the warmth of home to Chang'e-3, ensuring that it can sleep peacefully in an extremely cold environment. In addition, subsystems such as data management, GNC, measurement and control, and power supply each perform their duties, jointly guarding Chang'e-3 to write new glories.

As the moonlit night fell, Chang'e-3 fell into a deep sleep, but compared to the warm beds we sleep in, its bed is a vacuum environment of minus 180 degrees. Chinese researchers have continuously innovated and developed, and explored and designed a high-performance, high-tech thermal control system that brings the warmth of home to Chang'e-3, ensuring that it can sleep peacefully in an extremely cold environment. In addition, subsystems such as data management, GNC, measurement and control, and power supply each perform their duties, jointly guarding Chang'e-3 to write new glories.

During the long 100 days and nights in the "Moon Palace" and the thousands of days of perseverance on the ground, Chang'e-3 and the long-distance mission personnel relied on each other and encouraged each other. There were crises, laughter, passion, and sweat. Looking back, the past was long and dull. The long-distance mission personnel were awakened and dormant again and again. They changed one after another. From the initial ignorance to the current familiarity, the only thing that remains unchanged is the strong bond and firm "craftsmanship". All astronauts are part of this miracle and the creators of glory. No matter how difficult the challenges in the future are, they will interpret the inheritance with sweat and enthusiasm and continue to write miracles.

Salute to the Chang'e 3 lander!

Salute to the hardworking and dedicated long pipe workers!