Moon News  
MOON DAILY
Swedish instrument has landed on the moon
by Staff Writers
Kiruna, Sweden (SPX) Jan 04, 2019

Advanced Small Analyzer for Neutrals (ASAN) Image: Martin Wieser, IRF

On January 3, 03:26 Swedish time, the Chinese Chang'E-4 spacecraft landed successfully on the far side of the Moon. The Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) has developed one of the scientific instruments on board. The aim of the instrument is to study how the solar wind interacts with the lunar surface.

It is an historic event as it is the first time a spacecraft is landing on the far side of the Moon. It is also the second time Swedish instrumentation is used on the lunar surface; 50 years ago Hasselblad cameras were used during the Apollo missions.

The Advanced Small Analyzer for Neutrals (ASAN) instrument was developed by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics in Kiruna - in collaboration with the Chinese National Space Science Center (NSSC).

The instrument investigates how the solar wind, a flow of charged particles from the Sun, interacts with the lunar surface. ASAN is mounted on the rover of Chang'E-4, which makes it possible to perform measurements at different locations. The measurements could shed light on the processes responsible for the formation of water on the Moon.

"The successful landing means that Sweden is back on the Moon and this is exciting. The next step for ASAN is the instrument commissioning. The first science data are expected before February, 11th," says Martin Wieser, researcher at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics and principal investigator of ASAN.

Landing on the lunar far side is complex as the landing site is not visible from Earth. To communicate with the lander, the Chinese National Space Agency (CSNA) has previously launched the Queqiao communication relay satellite into a halo orbit about 65,000 km further out than the Moon.

Even after the landing there are challenges for Chang'E-4. The rover needs solar power to operate. After sunset, this power source is not available and the temperatures will drop significantly during the two-week-long lunar night.

"The lunar night is especially difficult, but both the rover and our instrument are designed to withstand these extreme conditions. ASAN is mounted inside a thermally insulated payload compartment that is open during daytime and closed during night time to cope with the low temperatures. We keep our fingers crossed that all systems will work as designed," says Martin Wieser.


Related Links
Swedish Institute Of Space Physics
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
Lunar Dreams and more


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


MOON DAILY
Women will make up to half of Russia-US Moon flight simulation crew
Moscow (Sputnik) Jan 01, 2019
Women will account for up to half of the crew that will be engaged in the second stage of a joint Russia-US project SIRIUS, which is designed to simulate the conditions of a flight to the Moon, Mark Belakovsky, a representative of the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBMP RAS), said. "On 9-10 January [2019], there will be a medical commission that will select 10 people, who will begin their training starting from January 14. The crew will comprise six people. In ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

MOON DAILY
Over Six Months Without Word From Opportunity

ExoMars mission has good odds of finding life on Mars if life exists.

UK tests self driving robots for Mars

3D photogrammetric evidence for trace fossils at Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars

MOON DAILY
NASA Research Reveals Saturn is Losing Its Rings at "Worst-Case-Scenario" Rate

Water on Saturn's Moon Phoebe Is Out of This World

A new way to create Saturn's radiation belts

Saturn's Moon Dione Covered by Mysterious Stripes

MOON DAILY
New Horizons unveils Ultima and Thule as a binary Kuiper

NASA spaceship closes in on distant world

New Horizons Spacecraft on Target to Reach Ultima Thule

NASA succeeds in historic flyby of faraway world

MOON DAILY
Russian Soyuz Vehicles to Carry Out Record-Long Missions to ISS in 2019

2018's privatized space race reached for asteroids, Mars

India Approves $1.4Bln for First Manned Spaceflight to be Launched in 2022

India to send three-person crew on landmark space mission

MOON DAILY
Illuminating nanoparticle growth with X-rays

Pitt chemical engineers develop new theory to build improved nanomaterials

MIT team invents method to shrink objects to the nanoscale

Artificial synapses made from nanowires

MOON DAILY
Russia continues work on plasma engine for superfast space travel

What You Need to Know About Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome

Russian Soyuz-2 1a Rocket With Satellites Blasts Off From Vostochny Cosmodrome

Russia touts hypersonic missile speed

MOON DAILY
China's Chang'e-4 makes historic landing on moon's far side

China launches telecommunication technology test satellite

China launches first Hongyun project satellite

China's Chang'e-4 probe enters lunar orbit

MOON DAILY
New metamaterial offers exceptional sound transportation

Silver nanowires promise more comfortable smart textiles

New composite advances lignin as a renewable 3D printing material

Rippling: What happens when layered materials are pushed to the brink









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.