Dr John Wilkins (1614-1672): Revolutionary Thinkimg & England’s 1640 CE Moon-Shot! (30.9.2023)

The point is that the external Revolutionary conditions of British society that led directly to the English Civil Wars (and the overthrow of absolute monarchy) – not only emerged from changing attitudes within – but served to further condition the human mind to think beyond the boundaries set by previous generations without! Changing times led to changing thoughts – and changing thoughts led to the eventual advancement of science and society. John Wilkins is to be applauded for his diplomatic skills and his scientific vigour! This very much encapsulates the spirit of the English Revolution!

Mooncakes Are in Town! (22.9.2023)

In 2023 this will fall on Friday September 29th! This coincides with what is termed the ‘Chung Yeung’ Festival – where the graves of the ancestors are cleaned and tidied! In Putonghua this is pronounced as ‘Chong Yang’ (重陽) and refers to the ‘Double Nine’ attribute common in the Book of Changes (essentially a ‘double-yang’ line in a hexagram implying incredible good luck – doubled). What all this means – and there are many more stories – is that we eat Mooncakes and pay respect to our deceased ancestors – either at their graves or at a shrine – where incense-sticks are lit. Meanwhile, there is a beautiful woman, a Jade Rabbit and even a Master-Archer – who is able to shoot-down false ‘Moons’! Like most cultural aspects in traditional China – there is a complexity of integration, contradiction, paradox and reconciliation! The main point is to wish everybody Good Luck for the future!

China Manned Space Agency (CMSA): Names Sought for Manned Lunar Exploration Vehicles! (1.9.2023)

According to an earlier report, China plans to land its taikonauts on the moon before 2030 to carry out scientific exploration. The plan is to launch two carrier rockets to send a lunar lander and a manned spacecraft, respectively, to a lunar orbit. The craft and lunar lander will rendezvous and dock with each other, and then taikonauts will enter the lander.

The names solicitation process is open to the public and will run until September 30. It is aimed at those who are enthusiastic about China’s manned space program, said the CMSA.

Also on Thursday, the CMSA began to solicit logos for four missions of China’s manned space program in 2024, including the launches of the cargo crafts Tianzhou-7 and Tianzhou-8, and the crewed spaceships Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19.

China: CPC Announces Manned Moon Landing! (12.7.2023)

After completing the designated tasks, the astronauts will return to the lunar lander and ascend to the lunar orbit, where the lander will dock with the spacecraft. The astronauts will then transfer lunar samples and other items to the spacecraft before separating it from the lunar lander. Finally, the spacecraft will return to the Earth, Zhang added.

To accomplish this mission, Chinese researchers are currently developing the Long March 10 carrier rocket, a new generation of manned spacecraft, lunar lander, lunar surface suits, manned lunar rover, etc.

China: Socialist Science to 3D Print Structures on Moon! (24.4.2023)

After Chang’e 6, the Chang’e 7 robotic probe will be sent to land on the moon’s South Pole to perform “high-precision investigations”, Wu said.

“The Chang’e 7 mission is meant to look for traces of water on the South Pole, investigate the environment and weather there, and survey the landform. The probe will carry a ‘flyby craft’ tasked with flying into pits on the lunar surface to look for ice,” the scientist said.

“Chang’e 7 will also be tasked with detecting the natural resources beneath the lunar South Pole’s surface. Mission planners are trying to assess if we can use the probe to dig into the surface and study underground structures and their composition,” he said.

In the long run, scientists will use components of the three upcoming missions — the orbiters, landers, rovers and sensors — to form the prototype of a robotic scientific outpost, which will act as a platform for international collaboration on lunar exploration, he added.

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