Chang'e I will experience a lunar eclipse around February 21. This may lead to a power shortage because of the lack of sunlight on its solar panels that generate electricity, experts have said.

The lunar eclipse will be the first of two that are expected, with the second likely to occur in August, Ye Peijian, lead designer of Chang'e I, said.

"The orbiter will be operating without a solar power supply for five-and-a-half hours," he said yesterday in an online interview.

The temperature on the lunar orbiter will subsequently drop to nearly minus 130 C.

"The eclipses will be a real challenge for the proper function of various pieces of equipment on Chang'e I," he said.

Rao Wei, a designer at the Academy for Space Technology Research, said repeated testing and preparation beforehand should be able to solve the "blackout" problem.

The storage battery will be put to use during the blackout to power the normal o...

>> Full Article