???? What is this mysterious Chinese object that crashed on the Moon?

2023-11-23 07:00:13

In a recent article in the Planetary Science Journal, scientists looked into a mysterious lunar phenomenon. On March 4, 2022, an unusual crash was observed, creating two equally sized craters on the Moon’s surface. First attributed to a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster (The Falcon 9 rocket is a reusable launcher developed by the. ..), it turned out to be that of a Chinese Chang’e 5-T1 mission. This booster, when it crashed, raised questions regarding the presence of an undeclared object accompanying it.
View of the far side of the Moon, with Earth in the background, captured by the Chinese Chang’e 5-T1 mission.
Credit: Chinese National Space Agency and Academy of Sciences (An academy of sciences is a learned society whose role is to promote research…) Chinese

Tanner Campbell, a doctoral student at the University of Arizona and lead author of the study, noted that this is the first time that a double crater (For the crater of volcanic origin, see Volcanic crater For the crater of origin…) was observed following such an impact. Analysis of the booster’s light signature and movements led researchers to believe that an unknown object, likely a counterweight, was attached to the booster to stabilize its orbit.

The object, first identified as WE0913A, was tracked for seven years before it crashed. The researchers used a powerful telescope to observe changes in light reflection from the booster, helping to track its movement. The unusual nature of its behavior in orbit suggested the presence of this mysterious object.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured an image of the double crater created by the collision of a rocket stage near of the Hertzsprung crater on the moon. The impact site measures approximately 28 meters at its widest point, with the scale bar representing 50 meters.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

After the crash, the observation of the two craters provided additional clues supporting this theory (The word theory comes from the Greek word theorein, which means “to contemplate, observe,…). However, the exact nature of this object remains unknown. China, often discreet regarding the details of its missions, has not disclosed the nature of this object. This mystery underlines the importance of transparency in future lunar missions.

The implications of this discovery are vast, not only for the understanding of space debris and its impact on celestial bodies but also for the transparency practices of space agencies. As the space race intensifies, it becomes crucial to better understand and manage objects sent into space.

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