China’s Chang’e 4 probe entered a planned orbit on Sunday morning to prepare for the first soft landing on the far side of the moon, the China National Space Administration announced.
中國(guó)國(guó)家航天局宣布,嫦娥四號(hào)探測(cè)器于周日上午進(jìn)入預(yù)定軌道,為月球背面首次軟著陸做好準(zhǔn)備。
The probe entered an elliptical lunar orbit, ranging from 15 kilometers above the lunar surface to about 100 km, at 8:55 am, the administration said.
國(guó)家航天局說(shuō),嫦娥四號(hào)探測(cè)器于上午8點(diǎn)55分進(jìn)入環(huán)月橢圓形軌道,在月球表面上方15公里到100公里之間運(yùn)行。
Since the Chang’e 4 entered lunar orbit on Dec 12, the ground control center in Beijing has trimmed the probe’s orbit twice and tested the communication link between the probe and the relay satellite Queqiao (or Magpie Bridge), which is operating in a halo orbit around the second Lagrangian (L2) point-a point of equilibrium-of the Earthmoon system.
自12月12日嫦娥四號(hào)探測(cè)器成功實(shí)施近月制動(dòng)進(jìn)入環(huán)月軌道以來(lái),北京地面控制中心進(jìn)行了2次環(huán)月軌道修正,與“鵲橋”中繼星進(jìn)行了多次中繼鏈路測(cè)試,達(dá)到了繞第二拉格朗日點(diǎn)地月系統(tǒng)的平衡。
The space engineers also checked the imaging instruments and range detectors on the probe to prepare for the landing.
航天工程師在軌測(cè)試了激光測(cè)距、三維成像等導(dǎo)航敏感器,為探測(cè)器實(shí)施月球背面軟著陸做好準(zhǔn)備。
The control center will choose the precise time to land the probe, the administration said.
控制中心人員表示,將擇機(jī)選擇探測(cè)器著陸時(shí)間。