The small payload for the mission can be an instrument to go onboard the Chang’e-4 lunar lander, or onboard the relay satellite which will be needed for communications between the lander and rover, and mission control.
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Despite the fact it had been immobile and transmitting exactly the same observation for almost 20 months, Jade Rabbit still technically claimed the record for the longest operational period of a rover on the moon, surpassing that of the Soviet Lunakhod rover. The Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover and the Chang’e lander, which arrived on the lunar surface more than two years ago, captured the spectacular photos.
Only three countries have landed on the moon: the United States, Russia and China.
More than two years after China’s lunar rover got away to a wonky start on the surface of the moon, the country’s National Space Administration has released the stunning hi-def pictures it took.
The images were released on The Science and Application Center for Moon and Deepspace Exploration and provide panoramas taken by the Chang’e-3 lander which reached the lunar surface on December 14, 2013.
To see the now-defunct probe in action, create a user account on China’s Science and Application Center for Moon and Deepspace Exploration website to download its photos.
Yutu as seen from the Chinese lander Chang’e-3.
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However, before its death, it provided photos, videos, and data that it sent back to Earth, allowing China’s space agency was able to show the public the photos of the Moon in full color. According to Yutu’s analysis, it suggests that the surface of the moon is less homogenous that what we all originally thought of.
