Wednesday, Ouyang Ziyuan, a chief scientist of lunar applied science at China's "Chang'e Project" and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, disclosed, for the first time, information about the development of a lunar-rover.
According to Ouyang, the lunar-rover should be able to advance, reverse, swerve, climb, fetch things, collect samples and right itself (turn over after toppling). In addition to these basic functions, it should also have elementary artificial intelligence such as identifying objects, as well as climbing and steering clear of barriers.
In addition, because the lunar-rover needs to execute its probing tasks on the moon's surface, it must be provided with the characteristics of a spacecraft that can adapt to the special environment in space. Not only should it withstand the "falling, climbing, rolling and jarring" of the launch process, but it must also be able to endure the "abuse" of spending years in outer space.
Electronic equipment used in the lunar-rover, especially highly integrated, radiation sensitive, micro-electronic devices, should have corresponding anti-radiation reinforcement measures to ensure that it can work normally under the conditions of extreme temperatures and low gravity.
It has been learned that the satellite "Chang'e 1," launched by the Circumlunar Probing Project, the first phase of China's Moon-probing Project, is China's first circumlunar satellite. The "Chang'e 1" will enter full-scale production in August of this year and is predicted to launch before 2007.
(Chinanews News Agency March 17, 2005)
