The Management Mode and Scientific Achievements of International Cooperative Payloads on the Chang`E-4 Mission

Chang`E-4 mission is the first probe which had achieved soft landing on the far side of the Moon. The four international cooperative payloads are: the Lunar Lander Neutron & Dosimetry (LND) developed by Kiel University in Germany; the Advanced Small Analyzer for Neutrals (ASAN) developed by the Swedish Institute of Space Physics; the Netherlands-China Low Frequency Explorer Instrument (NCLE) developed by the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands; and the Lunar Small Optical Camera (KLCP) developed by King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Saudi Arabia. They were all successfully powered on and obtained scientific exploration data. This is the first substantial international cooperation in the field of the lunar and deep space exploration in China, which opens a new chapter of international cooperation on several aspects such as application of international cooperative payloads, organizational management model, responsibilities and division of labor. This paper reviews the mode of international cooperative payloads of Chang`E-4 mission, summarizes the work principle, mission goals, technical indicators and preliminary scientific achievements obtained by the four international cooperative payloads, analyzes the problems and risks in the management of international cooperative payloads, proposes a solution and makes suggestions for a wider international cooperation in the field of lunar and deep space exploration in the future.