That is an error resulting from the confusion and scientific illiteracy of the reporter. He mixed up a quote about ground penetrating radar being able to look 20 meters or more into bedrock with statement of a drill being able to dig into lunar soil, and arrived at the nonsense about the drill being able to drill 20 meters into lunar bedrock.
China's Space Program News Thread
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That is an error resulting from the confusion and scientific illiteracy of the reporter. He mixed up a quote about ground penetrating radar being able to look 20 meters or more into bedrock with statement of a drill being able to dig into lunar soil, and arrived at the nonsense about the drill being able to drill 20 meters into lunar bedrock.
The current stream of news actually does comfirm earlier speculations/leaks that Yutu's mast has encountered a mechanical malfunction (probably due to moon dust) and can't be retracted, thus the solar panels can't close and act like a giant heatsink. So it will loose heat faster than expected, and lowering core temperature of the heating system. (remember moon does not have atmosphere, so temperature control is all about surface area)
This would be all the instruments on the mast probably are all dead (though the high gain antenna may still be alive), this leaves Yutu to be blind other than the collision avoidance camera, while most of the scientific instruments attached to the body should still function. This leave Yutu to be restricted to area mapped by Chang'e 3's earlier panorama, and must driver very slowly. Since Yutu didn't get very far anyways (may be due to a separate issue with wheel design), it won't effect the mission much anyways. I would call this mission at least 80% success if not 90%. (assuming Change'e survives for a year, and return good astronomy data) Not bad for a first landing mission, with some radical new designs.
This would be all the instruments on the mast probably are all dead (though the high gain antenna may still be alive), this leaves Yutu to be blind other than the collision avoidance camera, while most of the scientific instruments attached to the body should still function. This leave Yutu to be restricted to area mapped by Chang'e 3's earlier panorama, and must driver very slowly. Since Yutu didn't get very far anyways (may be due to a separate issue with wheel design), it won't effect the mission much anyways. I would call this mission at least 80% success if not 90%. (assuming Change'e survives for a year, and return good astronomy data) Not bad for a first landing mission, with some radical new designs.
Excellent news!
They must have used Energizer for its batteries!
Speaking of energizer...
http://www.sinodefenceforum.com/members-club-room/interesting-funny-videos-29-1126.html#post269604
Well, I hope they work out a way to continue to operate her, even with some reduced capability.
Glad to hear that there is a chance for that still happening.
vesicles
Colonel
any update on the Yutu?
I don't think you will see much from Yutu until they either fix or give up on fixing whatever mechanical abnormalities that prevented Yutu from adapting the proper hibernation posture. Also, they will probably not hurry with the fix because they want to maximize the data they geather during the diagonosis. This will improve the chance that similar problems can be prevented from happening to Yutu 2. (Say that really fast, Yutu too, yutoo too, yutooo to)
vesicles
Colonel
How about the Yutu, jr?
Quickie
Colonel
In a way it's very frustrating to follow the development. We know that the Yutu / CE3 Lander have by now snapped hundreds of pictures and yet they're only showing us the same few pictures that we've seen in the first few days after the landing. And as if the pictures are not few enough, they reduce the quality of the pictures either by reducing the resolution or by introducing the blurring/smudging effects, the purpose of which they only would know.
In a way it's very frustrating to follow the development. We know that the Yutu / CE3 Lander have by now snapped hundreds of pictures and yet they're only showing us the same few pictures that we've seen in the first few days after the landing. And as if the pictures are not few enough, they reduce the quality of the pictures either by reducing the resolution or by introducing the blurring/smudging effects, the purpose of which they only would know.
The actual amount of data from CE1 and 2 that's been released is also relatively sparse. Except for the lunar atlas, most of the data released so far seem to be of the "proof we've been there" variety.
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