Thursday, March 28, 2024
News

China's Yutu 2 rover sends back image after 3 years on moon's far side

   SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend    Print this Page   COMMENT

Beijing | Thursday, 2022 1:45:09 AM IST
China's Yutu 2 rover, traversing the harsh environment of the moon's far side, has returned a view of its path over the last three years.

Yutu 2 touched down on the lunar far side in January 2019 atop the Chang'e 4 lander, making the pair the first spacecraft to land and operate on the Moon's hidden hemisphere.

One image offers a panorama view looking back on Yutu 2's most recent tracks, with the Chang'e 4 lander visible far in the distance, Space.com reported.

The new images were released by Ourspace, a Chinese language science outreach channel affiliated with the China National Space Administration.

Since the duo landed, the roughly 140 kg solar-powered Yutu 2 has travelled 1,029 metres across Von Karman crater, according to new data from China's Lunar Exploration Ground Application System.

Yutu 2 also travelled to a crater rim to check out a "mystery hut" spotted on the horizon,which turned out to be a rabbit-shaped rock, the report said.

From this point, Yutu 2 could see sections of the tracks it made in the lunar regolith, as well as its distant lander companion lower on the crater floor off to the left in the new panorama.

The rover has made a number of discoveries during its mission, including material potentially from below the moon's crust and glass spheres likely created by meteor impacts.

Meanwhile, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has also been following Yutu 2 from orbit.

It collected some images that showed the landing site and the rover's movement across the surface over time, the report said.

Yutu 2 and the Chang'e 4 lander each carry four science payloads and have far exceeded their design lifetimes of three months and one year, respectively.

Each operates for about two Earth weeks when the sun shines, then powers down to outlast the long, cold lunar night, the report said.

--IANS rvt/vd

( 329 Words)

2022-03-09-19:16:02 (IANS)

 
  LATEST COMMENTS ()
POST YOUR COMMENT
Comments Not Available
 
POST YOUR COMMENT
 
 
TRENDING TOPICS
 
 
CITY NEWS
MORE CITIES
 
 
 
MORE SCIENCE NEWS
AI technique accurately predicts deadly ...
Researchers discover new approach to tre...
Researchers discover how gene mutation r...
Climate change disrupts vital ecosystems...
Study finds how ageing reduces ability o...
Israeli researchers uncover biological p...
More...
 
INDIA WORLD ASIA
Telangana: Fire breaks out at Ravi Foods...
UP's improved law and order to be the do...
From 'Microphone' to 'Pressure Cooker', ...
ASI continues survey at Bhojshala Comple...
CISF Jawan shoots self at Kolkata airpor...
'INDIA bloc has no presence; united to a...
More...    
 
 Top Stories
India sees UNSC resolution on cease... 
IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals win toss, ... 
"There's lot of time, talks underwa... 
Elvish Yadav visits Siddhivinayak T... 
Sita Ram Meena appointed as India's... 
Pratt & Whitney Canada signs en... 
"My first ever": Shehnaaz Gill lend... 
'Faces look bright using fair and l...