What is the planned launch date for Tianwen-4?
The Tianwen-4 probe launches in September 2029. This timeline reflects careful planning to use gravity assists and minimize fuel consumption over decades.
Questions about Tianwen-4
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Which moon does Tianwen-4 orbit after arriving at Jupiter?
Tianwen-4 enters orbit around Callisto at an altitude of 300 km in February 2038. Its orbital period becomes 17.7 hours while making flybys of irregular moons.
When will Tianwen-4 conduct a flyby of Uranus?
Scheduled encounters place the Uranus flyby in March 2045 according to one trajectory scenario. The interplanetary flyby probe carries its own camera magnetometer spectrometer radio science package and particle analyzer.
Who was the astronomer honored by the earlier name Gan De for Tianwen-4?
This earlier name honored an astronomer from the fourth century BCE who made early planetary observations. Some historical accounts suggest he first observed the Galilean moons with the unaided eye.
What instruments are included in Package A of the Tianwen-4 payload?
Package A includes plasma and dust analyzers such as a thermal plasma spectrometer operating between 100 eV and 100 keV. It also contains high-energy charged particle detectors and energetic neutral atom analyzers.