In 2013, China launched a lunar probe called Chang’e-3 with a rover on board called “Yutu.” Yutu was tasked with exploring the lunar surface and would also use the chance to conduct geological analyses of lunar material. With Yutu’s arrival on the moon, China joined a select few countries, including Russia and the United States, who have successfully soft-landed a probe on the lunar surface.
Now the Chinese Academy of Sciences in conjunction with China’s National Space Administration have released some of the High-Definition, True Color images taken by the probe since its arrival on the lunar surface. There are now hundreds and hundreds of never-before-seen images of the lunar surface available to anyone to view. Just create an account on China’s Science and Application Center for Moon and Deepspace Exploration website and you can download the images taken by the Chang’e-3 and Yutu.
Yutu Rover / Image Courtesy of Chinese Academy of Sciences / China National Space Administration / The Science and Application Center for Moon and Deepspace Exploration / Emily Lakdawalla
Change’e 3 deployed the 140-kilogram rover after landing on the surface of the moon in an area known as Mare Imbrium in December 2013.
Yutu, whose name translates to “Jade Rabbit,” is equipped with six wheels, radar instrumentation, and spectrometers capable of detecting X-ray, visible, and near-infrared light — all valuable tools for the months the rover spent on the moon. Besides sampling rocks and analyzing material, the rover has also been taking breathtaking images with exquisite details of the lunar surface. Yutu has really done it all! Some of Yutu's most interesting findings suggest that the lunar surface is less homogeneous than scientists and astronomers originally thought.
Lunar surface / Image courtesy of Chinese Academy of Sciences / China National Space Administration / The Science and Application Center for Moon and Deepspace Exploration / Emily Lakdawalla
Image Courtesy of Chinese Academy of Sciences / China National Space Administration / The Science and Application Center for Moon and Deepspace Exploration / Emily Lakdawalla
Yutu rover tracks / Image courtesy of Chinese Academy of Sciences / China National Space Administration / The Science and Application Center for Moon and Deepspace Exploration / Emily Lakdawalla
Unfortunately “Yutu” experienced severe mobility issues in the early part of 2014 due to the rover's inability to shield its self from the harsh lunar nights. The rover was left unable to move across the surface any further, but astoundingly, it was still retained the ability to collect data and send and receive signals to and from Earth. In March 2015, “Yutu” lost all communication with Earth and has been left on the lunar surface until a rescue mission can arrive. China is planning a follow-up mission called Chang’e-4 to retrieve “Yutu,” which if all goes to plan, should be ready to launch as early as 2018.
Hat-tip: Tech Crunch
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