On Dec. 1, 2013, China launched its first-ever mission to land a rover on the moon.
With the Yutu rover on board, the Chang'e 3 moon lander lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a modified Long March 3B rocket. The mission was named after the Chang'e, the goddess of the moon in Chinese mythology. The rover, Yutu, was named after the Jade Rabbit, who was a companion of the moon goddess. Chang'e 3 arrived in lunar orbit five days after the launch and touched down on the lunar surface one week later. It was the first spacecraft to do a soft landing on the moon in 37 years. A few hours later, the small, six-wheeled vehicle emerged from the spacecraft, becoming the first robot to rove on the moon since 1973.
With the Yutu rover on board, the Chang'e 3 moon lander lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a modified Long March 3B rocket. The mission was named after the Chang'e, the goddess of the moon in Chinese mythology. The rover, Yutu, was named after the Jade Rabbit, who was a companion of the moon goddess. Chang'e 3 arrived in lunar orbit five days after the launch and touched down on the lunar surface one week later. It was the first spacecraft to do a soft landing on the moon in 37 years. A few hours later, the small, six-wheeled vehicle emerged from the spacecraft, becoming the first robot to rove on the moon since 1973.
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:00On this day in space.
00:04In 2013, China launched its first ever mission to land a rover on the moon.
00:08With the Yutu rover on board, the Chang'e 3 moon lander lifted off from the Xichang
00:12Satellite Launch Center on a modified Long March 3B rocket.
00:16The mission was named after Chang'e, the goddess of the moon in Chinese mythology.
00:20The rover, Yutu, was named after the jade rabbit, who was a companion of the moon goddess.
00:24Chang'e 3 arrived in lunar orbit five days after the launch
00:28and touched down on the lunar surface one week later.
00:32It was the first spacecraft to do a soft landing on the moon in 37 years.
00:36A few hours later, the small six-wheeled vehicle emerged from the spacecraft,
00:40becoming the first robot to rove on the moon since 1973.
00:44And that's what happened on this day in space.
00:48NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology