Yutu (rover)
Yutu rover on lunar surface | |
| Mission type | Lunar rover |
|---|---|
| Operator | CNSA osrg |
| COSPAR ID | 2013-070C |
| Mission duration | 3 months (planned) Actual: 973 days Immobile since 25 January 2014, 42 days after landing. |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | SASEI and BISSE |
| Landing mass | 140 kg (310 lb) |
| Dimensions | 1.5 m (4.9 ft) |
| Power | • Solar panels for electricity • Radioisotope heater units for heating |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 1 December 2013, 17:30 UTC |
| Rocket | Long March 3B Y-23 |
| Launch site | Xichang LC-2 |
| Deployed from | Chang'e 3 |
| End of mission | |
| Declared | 3 August 2016 |
| Last contact | Mid-2016 |
| Lunar rover | |
| Landing date | 14 December 2013, 13:12 UTC |
| Landing site | Mare Imbrium 44°07′N 19°31′W / 44.12°N 19.51°W |
| Distance driven | 114.8 m (377 ft) |
Yutu (Chinese: 玉兔; pinyin: Yùtù; lit. 'Jade Rabbit') was a robotic lunar rover that formed part of the Chinese Chang'e 3 mission to the Moon. It was launched at 17:30 UTC on 1 December 2013, and reached the Moon's surface on 14 December 2013. The mission marks the first soft landing on the Moon since 1976 and the first rover to operate there since the Soviet Lunokhod 2 ceased operations on 11 May 1973.
The rover encountered operational difficulties toward the end of the second lunar day after surviving and recovering successfully from the first 14-day lunar night. It was unable to move after the end of the second lunar night, though it continued to gather useful information for some months afterward. In October 2015, Yutu set the record for the longest operational period for a rover on the Moon. On 31 July 2016, Yutu ceased to operate after a total of 31 months, well beyond its original expected lifespan of three months.
In total, while working on the Moon, the rover was able to travel a distance of 114 meters.
In 2018 the follow-on to the Yutu rover, the Yutu-2 rover, launched as part of the Chang'e 4 mission.