US News What the Hell Is China Doing on the Dark Side of the Moon?

Born in Wapakoneta, Ohio, U.S., on Aug. 5, 1930, Armstrong developed an affinity for flying at a young age and even managed to earn his student’s pilot license when he was 16.

In 1947, he enrolled in courses on aeronautical engineering at the Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., on a U.S. Navy scholarship. During the Korean War (1950-53), he flew 78 combat missions as an American Navy officer.

After leaving the service in 1952, he joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which was later renamed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). While his primary job was to test high-speed aircraft, he also served as an engineer.

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Did the astronauts really encounter alien spacecraft or see a base on the dark side of the moon ? Is there any legitimacy to these transcripts? While it’s difficult to tell whether these conversations actually happened with the anonymous sources and classified information, one thing that stands out is the fact

China joined a select group of countries with successful missions to the moon , when its spacecraft Being thicker, the far side did not face such an erasure and bears the marks of the crater impacts. The near side of the moon also suffers from this problem of noise. On the other hand, the far side is

Joining NASA’s astronaut program in the early ‘60s, he served as a command pilot in his first mission aboard Gemini VIII with fellow astronaut David Scott (L). Launched on March 16, 1966, the mission was the first to see two vehicles docking successfully in space, as the Gemini VIII docked with Gemini Agena target vehicle.

Click through to check out the early life of Buzz Aldrin...

The second man on Moon, and later, a celebrated author, Aldrin was born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr. in Montclair, New Jersey, U.S., on Jan. 20, 1930. According to stories, his little sister once mispronounced “brother” as “buzzer,” which prompted his family to shorten the nickname to “Buzz,” which Aldrin later made his legal first name in 1988.

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For the first time in history, there is a rover on the far side of the moon and the Chang’e 4 mission is just beginning to explore this hidden side .

Often mistakenly called the " dark side " of the moon (it does receive sunlight), the far- side region is the back of Earth's natural satellite that is perpetually The formation of the moon may reveal clues about how the solar system evolved, and the basalt deposits found near the Chang'e 4 landing site

Dreaming of becoming a fighter pilot since his childhood days, Aldrin enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, and finished the course third in his class in 1951; he went on to join the U.S. Air Force in the same year. Top of the class in flight school, Aldrin later joined the 51st Fighter Wing division. Just like Armstrong, Aldrin too participated in the Korean War, flying 66 combat missions and later was decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.

After the war was over, Aldrin pursued higher education and earned a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

During his doctorate years, he prepared a thesis titled: “Line-of-sight guidance techniques for manned orbital rendezvous,” which basically dealt with how to pilot two spacecraft within close proximity of each other. It was this paper that earned him a berth in the NASA space program in 1963. Being the first astronaut with a doctorate, he was nicknamed “Dr. Rendezvous” by his friends and colleagues.

His main job was to design docking and rendezvous techniques for spacecraft. He is also credited with pioneering underwater training techniques to help astronauts learn spacewalking.

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Collins was born in Rome, Italy, on Oct. 31, 1930, where his father, U.S. Army Major General James Lawton Collins, was stationed at the time. The family moved to Washington, D.C., after U.S. entered World War II in the early 1940s.

After graduating with a science degree from West Point military academy, Collins joined the U.S. Air Force in 1952. Apart from flying transonic jets like the F-86 Sabre, he also learned how to deliver nuclear weapons with the 21st Fighter-Bomber Wing division.

It was astronaut John Glenn and his Mercury-Atlas 6 spaceflight that inspired Collins to become one himself. After a failed attempt, the resilient Collins managed to get selected by NASA on their astronaut program.

His first mission was aboard the Gemini 10 in July 1966, where he successfully performed a spacewalk.

Now, a look at their roles in the lunar landing...

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On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, U.S. When it reached the Moon, mission commander Armstrong piloted the lunar module to the moon’s surface on July 20. Aldrin accompanied him while Collins remained back in the Command Module on the lunar orbit.

At 10:56 p.m., Armstrong exited the module and became the first human to set foot on the Moon. His quote, “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” became synonymous with the historical significance of the event.

The spacecraft returned safely to Earth, landing in the Pacific Ocean, on July 24. After three weeks in quarantine, the three astronauts were hailed as heroes, and welcomed by throngs of cheering crowds lining up the New York City streets during an honorary ticker-tape parade. Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins were honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honor.

Now, take a look at the trio’s lives and contributions after the lunar landing...

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The number of cases and deaths in the coronavirus epidemic in China jumped sharply on Thursday as the authorities there changed how they keep track of the disease, and not, primarily, because of any change in the shape of the outbreak. The number of cases and deaths in the coronavirus epidemic in China jumped sharply on Thursday as the authorities there changed how they keep track of the disease, and not, primarily, because of any change in the shape of the outbreak.

Armstrong continued working with NASA as a deputy associate aeronautics administrator till 1971.

After leaving the space agency, Armstrong became a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati and stayed there for nearly eight years. After that, he served as the chairman Computing Technologies for Aviation, Inc. for nearly a decade.

He was a member of the Presidential Commission which investigated the Challenger space shuttle accident in 1986.

A shy person, Armstrong largely remained away from the limelight in the coming years. His biography, “First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong” (2005) and an interview on “60 Minutes” in the same year were the only two instances where he openly talked about his experiences on the Moon.

He heavily criticized President Barack Obama’s decision to shut down the Constellation space program along with the move to encourage private brands to get involved in space travels. Armstrong said, “America is respected for its contributions it has made in learning to sail on this new ocean. If the leadership we have acquired through our investment is simply allowed to fade away, other nations will surely step in where we have faltered. I do not believe that would be in our best interests.”

On Aug. 25, 2012, Armstrong passed away at the age of 82, due to complications from cardiovascular procedures. He is survived by his second wife, Carol Knight.

Click through to see what Buzz Aldrin had been up to since 1969...

Apart from the national honors, the trio tasted fame akin to that of rock stars at the time, including receiving golden stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1972, Aldrin returned to the Air Force in a managerial role. However, for Aldrin, these years were marked by alcoholism and battling depression and even a divorce, as revealed on his biography, “Return to Earth.”

After overcoming his addictions, Aldrin tried turning over a new leaf and began studying and researching on space technology. He even devised a spacecraft system for missions to Mars, a modular space station and Starbooster reusable rockets.

Apart from founding the non-profit ShareSpace Foundation, which advocates space education for kids, he also launched the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute at FIorida Institute of Technology in 2015 to “promote and develop his vision of a permanent human settlement on the planet Mars.”

A gifted author, some of his best children’s and sci-fi titles include, “The Return” (2000), “Encounter with Tiber” (2004), “Reaching for the Moon” (2005), “Look to the Stars” (2009) and “Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet” (2015).

He continued his tryst with fame as he competed on “Dancing with the Stars” (pictured) in 2010 and also made guest appearances on popular TV series such as “The Simpsons,” “30 Rock,” “The Big Bang Theory” and even the 2011-blockbuster, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011). He even teamed up with Snoop Dogg and Talib Kweli for the song, “Rocket Experience,” which aimed at promoting space exploration among young minds.

He has been married and divorced three times, to Joan Archer, Beverly Zile ad Lois Diggs Cannon (pictured). He has three children, James, Janice and Andrew. In June 2018, he was involved in a lawsuit with Andrew and Janice along with business manager Christina Korp, alleging financial and elder exploitation.

Finally, take a look at what all Michael Collins has been up to since 1969...

Since he spent the lunar mission operating the Command Module, Collins never received the fame and recognition quite like his two fellow astronauts. He left NASA in 1970 and went on to work on the administrative staff of the Smithsonian Institution.

(Pictured) President Nixon cheers on as the three moon-landers look out from their Mobile Quarantine Facility after they return in July 1969. 

In 1980, he forayed into the private sector as an aerospace consultant. He is married to Patricia Finnegan since 1957 and the couple have a son Michael and two daughters, Anna and Kate.

Part of the Aten group, the asteroid was discovered in September 2003 by astronomers of the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search at Anderson Mesa Station near Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S. Its radar images revealed its shape to be like "a hippopotamus wading in a river." It flew past Earth on Dec 22, 2018 – its closest approach until 2070.

Asteroid Vesta was discovered by the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers in 1807. It’s roughly about the length of the U.S. state of Arizona and its surface is made of frozen lava.

A giant crater on the asteroid's south pole – 285 miles (460 kms) across and eight miles (13 kilometers) deep – has piqued the interests of scientists world over. According to NASA, the debris from the crash that gouged out the crater contributes to nearly five per cent of all meteorites found on Earth.

A display at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Canada houses as many as 30 diverse specimens from Vesta, making it the most comprehensive collection of Vesta meteorites.

(Pictured) A technician at the ROM inspects a slice of meteorite that likely came from the asteroid Vesta.

Officially termed 21 Lutetia, this asteroid was discovered by Hermann Goldschmidt from the balcony of his apartment in Paris in 1852. Lutetia is Paris' Latin name.

Lutetia, about which little is known, is believed to be about 83.3 miles (134 kms) in diameter.

Asteroid Eros, the first to be orbited and landed on by a spacecraft, was discovered on Aug. 13, 1898, by German astronomer Gustav Witt at the Urania Observatory in Berlin, Germany. It is named after the god of love in Greek mythology.

Discovered by the Galileo probe in 1993, asteroid Ida is 35-mile (56 kms) long and has a tiny moon, Dactyl.

Ida and Gaspra were visited by the Jupiter-bound space probe Galileo as its secondary missions. The mission was in response to a new NASA policy directing planners to consider asteroid flybys for all spacecraft crossing the asteroid belt.

This asteroid is named after a resort on the Crimean peninsula. Interestingly, many of the asteroid's craters have been named for resorts and spas from across the world.

First spotted in 1934, Toutatis was lost till French astronomer Christian Pollas rediscovered it on Jan. 4, 1989. Named after a Celtic god, Toutatis zipped past Earth at a distance of 4.3 million miles (6.9 million kms) on Dec. 12, 2012 – its closest approach till 2069.

Discovered in 1999, Bennu got its name only in 2012 when a nine-year-old from North Carolina, U.S., won an international contest held to name the asteroid.

Bennu is the target of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, which aims to collect samples from the asteroid and return them to Earth for study in 2023.

(Pictured) A combination of images acquired by OSIRIS-REx spacecraft of a region in Bennu’s northern hemisphere.