Humans are very curious to study the mysteries of the Moon, and hence scientists all over the world are trying their best to reach a place that can give them an ideal study to read the unknown facts about the Moon. The race to the moon continues in the US and China as their scientists look for ways to get their astronauts to the moon. The south pole of the Moon is considered one of the important sites for landing and is ideal for scientific research. Aitken Basin – The south pole of the Moon is the largest structure in the entire area. According to the study, China is aiming to conduct its first lunar mission by sending its astronauts to the Moon by the end of 2030.
Why is the South Pole the front line of the US-China moon race?
The US-China moon race is not just about landing and waving their nation’s flags, but it is about uncovering unknown secrets from the moon. The South Pole is considered to be the best place for observation purposes. There is a wonderful place near this pole which is known as Rimai Bode. A new paper in Nature Astronomy has called the region a ‘geological museum’. It does not include the frozen craters or shadowed craters found at the poles. Instead of polar craters formed during volcanic eruptions, the area has many polar crater-like features. Rimai Bode consists of volcanic plains, ancient highlands and river-like lava flow valleys, all in one place.Studies say the ‘scientific gold’ value at this location comes from the presence of pyroclastic deposits (tiny volcanic glass beads formed during volcanic eruptions three billion years ago). The tiny volcanic glass beads are like time capsules because they contain water and chemicals formed deep in the moon during volcanic activity. The lunar lander on China’s planned 2030 lander mission could resolve many unanswered questions about the formation of both the Moon and the Earth, and provide a more detailed picture of the Moon’s history than the polar lander, which is easier to study.
How will China actually surface?
A ‘phased’ method will be used by China instead of an all-in-one launch vehicle for a successful landing on the Moon by 2030, as NASA did with the Apollo programme. CMSA will send two separate Long March 10 rockets to complete the mission, as both the manned spacecraft, Mengzhu (Dream Vessel), and the lander, Lanyu (Embrace the Moon), will have separate launches, according to the official CMSA mission profile. After a successful simultaneous landing in lunar orbit, the astronauts will be transferred to a lunar lander for final descent to the lunar surface.
What is ‘Tansuo’ Rover and how does it help?
China is currently working on the Tansuo crew rover, which will enable astronauts to continue exploring the Moon’s rugged terrain. According to a statement issued by the Chinese Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the rover will accommodate 2 astronauts traveling on the brown lunar soil.The rover will incorporate banking technology to maintain its stability when driving over slippery lunar regolith and steep slopes. It will also be a mobile laboratory for the Taikonauts, and each of them will be able to travel up to 10 km from their lunar lander to obtain ‘scientific gold’ – volcanic glass beads and other mineral samples that could change our understanding of the history of the Solar System.