China’s Moon Rover Separates From Lander
Very early Sunday morning, China’s moon rover, “Yutu” or Jade Rabbit, separated from its lander and began its exploration.
This means that China has officially joined the United States and the former Soviet Union as as the only countries to make a soft landing and drop an exploratory vehicle on the moon safely.
The state news agency Xinhua reports:
“The 140 kg six-wheeled rover touched the lunar surface at 4:35 a.m., leaving deep trace on the loose lunar soil. The process was recorded by the camera on the lander and the images were sent to the Earth, according to the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.
“After the separation, the rover and lander will take photos of each other and start their own scientific explorations.
More: China’s Moon Rover Separates From Lander : The Two-Way : NPR