RocketSTEM Issue #5 - January 2014 | Page 12

China lands Yutu rover on the Moon Together with the lander base, China’s ‘Yutu’ rover was deposited on the lunar surface during the Chang’e-3 mission. Image: CNSA China scored a stunning, history making success with the successful touchdown of the ambitious Chang’e-3 probe with the ‘Yutu’ rover on the surface of the Moon Dec. 14, 2013, on the country’s first ever attempt to conduct a landing on an extraterrestrial body. The dramatic Chang’e-3 soft landing on the lava filled plains of the Bay of Rainbows occurred at about 8:11 am EST, 9:11 p.m. Beijing local time, 1311 GMT. The monumental feat is the first landing on the Moon by any entity in nearly four decades. It was broadcast live on CCTV, China’ ́