Chinese spacecraft 'in position' for historic landing on the dark side of the moon - but officials refuse to reveal when it will touch down

“嫦娥四号”已经“就位”，准备在月球背面进行历史性着陆，但官方拒绝透露具体何时着陆

A Chinese space probe has moved into position to land on the dark side of the moon for the first time, the official inhua news agency reported.

据新华社报道，“嫦娥四号”探测器已经“就位”，准备首次在月球背面着陆。

The probe, the Chang'e-4, entered a planned orbit on Sunday 'to prepare for the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the moon', the news agency said, citing the China National Space Administration.

国家航天局表示，周日“嫦娥四号”探测器已进入预定轨道，“为首次在月球背面软着陆做准备”。但并未公布具体何时着陆。

It didn't say when the landing would occur- but experts from the Smithsonian Institution, the American museums and research centres group, reported that the craft was expected to set down on the Von Kármán crater landing point between January 1 and 3, according to the South China Morning Post.

据《南华早报》报道，美国史密森学会的专家称，“嫦娥四号”预计将于1月1日至3日着陆于冯·卡门陨石坑。

Chang'e-4 will target the South Pole-Aitken basin's Von Karman crater, the largest in the entire solar system at 15,000 miles (24,000km) across and eight miles deep.

嫦娥四号将以南极-艾特肯盆地的冯·卡门陨石坑为着陆点，这是整个太阳系最大的陨石坑，直径1.5万英里(合2.4万公里)，深达8英里。[注：南极-艾特肯盆地直径约2500公里]

The moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating at the same rate that it orbits our planet, so the far side - or the 'dark side' - is never visible from Earth.

月球受地球潮汐锁定，以和绕地球公转相同的速度旋转，所以从地球上永远看不到月球背面。

Previous spacecraft have seen the far side of the moon, but none has landed on it.

此前有探测器曾看到过月球背面，但从未在月球背面着陆。

China launched the Chang'e-4 probe earlier this month, carried by a Long March-3B rocket.

It includes a lander and a rover to explore the surface of the moon.

本月初，发射了“嫦娥四号”探测器，由长征三号乙火箭运载。“嫦娥四号”包括一个着陆器和一个探测车，以在月球表面进行探索。

inhua said that the probe had entered an elliptical lunar orbit at 08.55 Beiing time, which brought it at its closest point just 15 kilometres away from the surface of the moon.

新华社称，“嫦娥四号”探测器于北京时间8时55分进入月球椭圆形轨道，达到距月球表面仅15公里的最近点。

The Chang'e-4 first entered a lunar orbit on Dec. 12.

“嫦娥四号”于12月12日首次进入环月轨道。

The tasks of the Chang'e-4 include astronomical observation, surveying the moon's terrain, landform and mineral composition, and measuring the neutron radiation and neutral atoms to study the environment on the far side of the moon.

“嫦娥四号”的任务包括天文观测，测量月球的地形、地貌和矿物成分，测量中子辐射和中性原子，研究月球背面的环境。

China aims to catch up with Russia and the United States to become a major space power by 2030.

的目标是在2030年前赶上俄罗斯和美国，成为太空大国。

It is planning to launch construction of its own manned space station next year.

正计划在明年发射载人空间站。

However, while China has insisted its ambitions are purely peaceful, the U.S. Defense Department has accused it of pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations from using space-based assets during a crisis.

然而，尽管坚称其雄心纯粹是出于和平目的，但美国国防部指责正从事旨在防止其他国家在危机期间使用太空资源的活动。

The space control centre will select a 'proper time' to land the probe on the far side of the moon, inhua reported.

据新华社报道，太空控制中心将选择“适当的时间”将探测器降落在月球背面。

Its descent is being aided by a relay satellite, the Queqiao, or Magpie Bridge.

“嫦娥四号”的着陆将由中继卫星“鹊桥”协助。

Retrorockets on the probe fired on 12 December to stabilise the spacecraft and slow it down.

探测器上的制动火箭于12月12日发射，以稳定探测器并使其减速。

It took off from the ichang satellite launch centre in Sichuan, south-west China at 6:30 GMT on December 7 atop a Long March-3B rocket.

It is expected to perform a 'soft-landing' and land on the moon after completing its 27 day journey through space.

格林尼治时间12月7日6点30分，“嫦娥四号”从四川西昌卫星发射中心搭载长征三号乙火箭升空。预计在完成27天的太空之旅后，它将实现在月球背面软着陆。

Exploring the huge divot on the surface of the moon may shed new light on its history and geology by collecting rocks that have never been seen before.

通过探索月球表面巨大的陨石坑和收集从未见过的岩石，或能会为了解月球的历史和地质提供新的线索。

Researchers hope the huge depth of the crater will allow them to study the moon's mantle, the layer underneath the surface, of the moon.

研究人员希望通过陨石深坑研究月球表面下的地幔层。

Chang'e-4 has been described as 'hugely ambitious' and heralded as a sign of China's growing intentions to rival the space exploration prowess of the US, Russia and the EU.

“嫦娥四号”被形容为“雄心勃勃”的计划，并被视为越来越有意与美国、俄罗斯和欧盟的太空探索实力相媲美的迹象。

To facilitate communication between controllers on Earth and the Chang'e-4 mission, China launched a relay satellite named Queqiao on 20 May and is now stationed in operational orbit about 40,000 miles beyond the moon.

This will be the primary form of communication between Earth and the spacecraft.

为了方便地球上的控制人员和嫦娥四号之间的通信，5月20日，发射了一颗名为“雀桥”的中继卫星，目前已进入月球外约4万英里的运行轨道。这将是地球和嫦娥四号之间的主要通信形式。

The probe and explorer will use Queqiao to get their findings back to China. As the landing is happening on the dark side of the moon it required its own satellite to be able to send information back.

探测器将通过“鹊桥”将发现传回。由于是在月球背面着陆，探测器需要自己的卫星传送信息。

英国每日邮报读者评论：

译文来源：三泰虎 http://www.santaihu.com/46790.html   译者：Jessica.Wu

外文：https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6545199/Chinese-spacecraft-position-historic-landing-dark-moon.html

Just Saying Now, Stoke on Trent, United Kingdom, 50 minutes ago

Why am I suspicious of this?

为啥我就是有点怀疑呢

NewEnglandGuy, Boston, United States, 1 hour ago

Can't wait to see new pics of...moon rocks

迫不及待地想看月球岩石的照片

Infidus Imperator, Manchester, United Kingdom, 1 hour ago

They don't want NASA to steal their thunder.

他们不想让NASA抢了风头。

Salty26, Sunny Coast, Australia, 2 hours ago

When are they going to start mining,

他们什么时候开始在上面采矿

Mzungu, Sodden-on-the-Water, United Kingdom, 3 hours ago

China's Space Exploration Chief Scientist No Pah King confirmed that finding a suitable place to land was difficult while his colleague Sum Ting Wong added there were other complications with the mission. Technical director Wee Tu Lo commented that the spacecraft was dangerously close to lunar mountains.

要找到合适的着陆点非常困难，这次任务还要考虑其他复杂因素。探测器接近月球山脉是很危险的。

Dfooster, Leeds, United Kingdom, 3 hours ago

That's where the aliens live. I have a feeling this lander will go missing in action

月球背面是外星人居住的地方。我有一种感觉，这个着陆器将在着陆过程中失踪。

thechosenone, London, United Kingdom, 5 hours ago

I came for the comments ...

我是来看评论的。

HKer, Hong Kong, China, 6 hours ago

US one small step, China two small steps. Then Americans will hurl angry abuses to China: we first, you steal, you copy, we always ahead, you knockoff, . . . . . But China will keep on going forward.

美国前进一步，前进两步。美国人将谩骂：我们是第一个，你们偷窃，你们抄袭，我们永远比你们领先。说归说，将继续前进。

Winch, Lynn, United States, 6 hours ago

It is not the dark side, stop! It's the far side we never see! Ugh

那不叫dark side（暗面），而是我们从未见过的far side（背面)!

Joe Klosed, Boo boo, Zambia, 7 hours ago

Why do all non-rocket spacecraft look like they were made by a six year old using tin foil, a lolly pop stick, empty loo roll and a yogurt pot?

为什么所有的航天器看起来都像是一个六岁孩子用锡箔纸、棒棒糖棍、空卫生纸管和酸奶罐做的?

WildBoar, London, United Kingdom, 7 hours ago

fingers crossed they find Elvis

祈祷他们能在上面找到猫王。

Self-Inflicted Sid, Dublin, Ireland, 7 hours ago

They'll need lots of batteries. Solar panels don't work in the dark.

需要很多电池，太阳能电池板在黑暗中无法工作。

Xcite, Down South, United Kingdom, 7 hours ago

Watch out for the aliens living up there.

当心住在上面的外星人。