Lots of activity in space this weekend:
** Moon: China launched on Friday the Chang’e-4 mission to the far side of the Moon. The 3,780 kg package includes a lander (1,200 kg), a rover (140 kg). This will be the first mission of any kind to the surface of the side of the Moon that never faces Earth due to tidal locking. A lunar orbiter was launched earlier to serve as a communications relay. The landing date has not been announced yet.
- China launches Chang’e-4 probe to shed light on moon’s dark side – Xinhua
- China returning to the Moon with Chang’e-4 mission – NASASpaceFlight.com
- China launches historic mission to land on far side of the moon – Spaceflight Now
- Chang’e-4: China mission launches to far side of Moon – BBC News
** Mars: Insight is busy setting up its experiments and listening to the Martian wind.
** Earth Orbit: The SpaceX Dragon, launched on a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral last Wednesday, rendezvoused and berthed to the ISS this morning. It joins five other spaceships attached to the station including Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo vehicle, two Russian Progress cargo vehicles, and two Russian Soyuz crew vehicles.
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