After three decades, its Chinese Jade Rabbit, a six-wheeled lunar rover, kissed the surface of moon. It was China’s first successfully launched moon mission. After the United States and Russia, now China has joined the elite club. The lunar rover was launched December 2, 2013 from Sichuan province of China from Chang’e-3, an unmanned spacecraft which landed on Saturday. The solar-powered rover, Jade Rabbit weighs 140 kg and composes with four cameras, optical telescope, powerful ultraviolet camera, radioisotope heater units and two mechanical legs. For three months it will examine moon’s surface which includes soil and rock testing by roving around and digging the soil up to a depth of 30 meters. It will observe how solar activity affects the various layers of the Earth's atmosphere. Jade Rabbit (Yutu) is named after the Chinese goddess Chang'e’s pet white rabbit.

Comments