The Chinese lunar rover - serious problems

Just recently, Chinese media reported that the "Jade Rabbit", China's lunar rover "Yuytu" serious problems. At first, saying only that the problems arose because of "difficult terrain of the lunar surface." That is, it was not clear at all that could happen - "flew" chassis or rover generally somewhere failed.

Now the situation is cleared up, Chinese scientists reported that the rover "problem with the mechanical control of the movement." The problem arose in the sixth week of stay rover on the lunar surface.

The very problem is that one of the rover solar panels did not work properly, causing the panel has not got into the compartment heater, which maintains the temperature of critical systems for lunar rover in the night (the information about the failure came from informal sources). Officially, however, reported only that the rover "problem with the mechanical motion control».

It is worth recalling that the rover (and lander) operate only during the so-called lunar day when solar radiation warms the surface of the moon (and Rover).

The duration of the lunar day is two weeks, followed by a moonlit night the same length. At this time, the temperature drops to minus 180 degrees Celsius, and the rover lander to go into hibernation. Important system rover heated at this time (minus 40 Celsius) radioisotope source.

If the heating is not, then the rover, or some important (critical) system can fail during a moonlit night. And just now it is the "night-time", and it is unclear whether the Chinese specialists have coped with the problem of incorrectly folded solar array. Himself rover went into "hibernation" of the 25th of January, and a lander - 24th.

So some news we can get only 8 or 9 February after the lunar day, followed by raising the temperature of the lunar surface.

Via universetoday

Source: habrahabr.ru/post/210526/