admin China’s Chang’e 4 and Yutu 2 mission has completed its 15th lunar day of work on the moon’s far side.
The lander and Yutu 2 rover, which have now driven a total of 1,312 feet (just under 400 meters) on the lunar surface, clutched down on March 1, hours ahead of sunset over their position in Von Kármán crater.
All the science instruments on both spacecraft are in good condition, according to the China Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP). One from the instruments, Yutu 2’s ground-penetrating radar, last week provided a first look below the surface of the moon’s far side.
Li Chunlai, deputy director of the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC), told the state-run news outlet CCTV+ that the team is looking at stretching new areas to advance understanding of the history and geology of the region only if the rover can hold out for another year.
“If Yutu 2 can enter a basalt zone, maybe we can better understand distribution and structure of ejecta from meteorite impacts. The distance may be 1.8 kilometers. I think it may take another one year for the rover to walk out of the ejecta-covered area,” said Li.
Communication between teams in China and the spacecraft on the far side of the moon, which never faces the Earth, is promoted by the Queqiao relay satellite, which is operated in a halo orbit around a sole point beyond the moon.
Queqiao will switch its focus to low-frequency astronomy testing and observations while the Chang’e 4 lander and Yutu 2 wait out for the two-week-long lunar night. The Chang’e 4 lander and Yutu 2 are anticipated to awaken for a 16th lunar day around March 17, subsequent sunrise over Von Kármán crater.
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