Yutu, China’s first moon rover, had separated successfully from the Chang’e-3 probe on Sunday which just soft-landed on the lunar surface several hours ago.
Jade Rabbit, or Yutu, is 140 kg and it has six-wheeled. It first touched the lunar surface at 4:35 a.m., leaving deep trace on lunar soil. It was told by Beijing Aerospace Control Center that the whole process was recorded by the camera on the lander and those images were then sent to Beijing Aerospace Control Center. After the separation, the rover and lander took photos of each other and started their own scientific explorations.
Engineers made final checks of the environment of the landing site, the situation of the probe and the solar incidence angle late night on Saturday and sent signals of separation to Chang’e-3.
Yutu, atop the probe, extended its solar panel and started to drive slowly to the transfer mechanism at 3:10.
The transfer mechanism unlocked at 4:06 with one side reaching the moon’s surface, allowing the rover to descend to the surface following a ladder mechanism.
Chang’e-3 landed on the moon’s Sinus Iridum, or the Bay of Rainbows, at 9:11 p.m. Saturday, making China the third country in the world to carry out such a rover mission after the United States and former Soviet Union.
Yutu will survey the moon’s geological structure and surface substances and look for natural resources for three months, while the lander will conduct in-situ exploration at the landing site for nearly one year.
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