Looking Up - 13 April 2018

Have you ever wondered what is there on the Dark Side of the Moon? Soon, we may know. A South African company is involved in a fascinating unmanned mission to land on the far side and carry out scientific investigations. But in order to communicate back to Earth, a communications satellite is needed. The Moon presents the same face to Earth so the far side is always facing away from us. This Chang'e 4 mission, run by the Chinese National Space Administration, has many facets including a lander, 2 orbiters and the communications satellite, and telling us about them is Dr Francois Malan of Space Advisory Company, which has developed certain components for the mission. There will be more broadcasts about this complex mission in the future, as we explore the Moon's mysterious nether regions.