12 May 2021
China's Yutu-2 rover will wake up on the far side of the moon this May.
(Image credit: CLEP/CNSA)
China's plucky Yutu 2 rover is about to wake up and continue to explore the far side of the moon as the nation works to land a rover on Mars this May.
The rover, which launched with the Chang’e 4 mission, landed on the far side of the moon in January 2019 and recently completed its 29th lunar day of activities, the China Lunar Exploration Project (CLEP) said on April 23.
The mission’s solar-powered lander and rover entered a dormant state on April 19 Beijing time, just ahead of sunset. The two spacecraft will be protected from temperatures as cold as minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 180 degrees Celsius).