Chang’e running to the moon is a well-known mythical story in our country, and this mythical story has been passed down from generation to generation. It can be said that the moon is closely related to the traditional culture of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, and has inspired generations of Chinese to explore its mysteries. Finally, under the rapid development of modern aerospace science and technology in China, exploring the mystery of the moon is no longer just a dream, and the mystery of the moon is being unveiled layer by layer.
Since March 2003, when the China National Space Administration announced the official launch of the lunar exploration program, China’s space industry has developed by leaps and bounds. On October 24, 2007, China successfully launched the Chang’e-1 lunar probe, marking that China became the fifth country in the world to successfully launch a lunar probe.
At 1:30 on December 2, 2013, China successfully launched the Chang’e-3 probe into orbit at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. At 4:35 on December 15, 2013, the Chang’e-3 lander separated from the rover, and the “Jade Rabbit” rover successfully arrived on the lunar surface, and then carried out a series of scientific research missions on the lunar surface. The Chang’e-3 lunar probe achieved a soft landing on the moon for the first time, which is undoubtedly a landmark event on China’s lunar exploration road.
In order to commemorate the success of China’s first lunar exploration and remember this milestone event in China’s aerospace history, People’s Bank of China issued a set of gold and silver commemorative coins for the first successful moon setting in China on January 22, 2014. This set of commemorative coins consists of 2 pieces, including 1 gold and silver coin, all of which are legal tender of the People’s Republic of China.
The 1/4-ounce gold coin in this set of commemorative coins, the obverse of which is the national emblem of the People’s Republic of China, and the name of the country and the year number; The back pattern is based on China’s self-developed “lunar rover” Jade Rabbit. Looking closely at the coin face, the lunar rover is flanked by two movable solar cell sails; In the middle is the infrared detection camera; The body of the lunar rover is like a box, which hides important components such as infrared imaging spectrometer, obstacle avoidance camera, robotic arm, laser dot matrix and so on; Then there are the composite wheel legs, which are the biggest feature of the lunar rover’s appearance; The background picture is a cratered, rugged lunar surface; By leaving two deep ruts behind the body, it can be seen that the lunar rover is advancing; Behind the lunar rover is the vast expanse of space; On the upper left is the earth with half a figure exposed, and the rounded shape of the earth seems to be warmly watching the lunar rover.
On the whole, the lunar rover is carved with square, clear, angular lines. Mirroring, multi-level sandblasting, bead blasting and other processes are used appropriately. For example, using a mirror surface to represent the vast space; Use shallow sandblasting and bead blasting to express the tranquil and serene blue earth; Multi-level sandblasting and beadblasting processes are used to emphasize the rendering of uneven lunar surfaces; The two wings of the lunar rover are outlined with lines to emphasize his own stable and stretched visual beauty.
China’s lunar exploration set the moon for the first time, and successfully completed the scheduled tasks of scientific exploration such as “observing the sky, the earth, and measuring the moon”. But this is only “a small goal” for us to explore the universe. This year, our first Mars exploration mission was also a complete success, please look forward to the appreciation of the gold and silver commemorative coins of China’s first Mars exploration mission.
