Chang'e 3 Photos: China's 1st Moon Lander & Rover Mission

How China's Chang'e 3 Moon Rover Works (Infographic) -EMBED

See how the Chang'e 3 moon rover mission works in this SPACE.com infographic.">by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist

China's Chang'e 3 moon lander carries a six-wheeled Yutu rover vehicle on its back. See how the Chang'e 3 moon rover mission works in this SPACE.com infographic.

Chang'e 3 Bay of Rainbows Moon Landing Site

Zheng Yong-Chun

This graphic shows the Bay of Rainbows landing site for China's Chang'e 3 lunar lander and Yutu moon rover in the moon's northern hemisphere on Dec. 14, 2013. [China's 1st Lunar Rover Drives On the Moon: Read the Full Story Here]

Chang'e 3 Bay of Rainbows Landing Site

Zheng Yong-Chun

This graphic shows the Bay of Rainbows landing site for China's Chang'e 3 lunar lander and Yutu moon rover in the moon's northern hemisphere on Dec. 14, 2013. [China's 1st Lunar Rover Drives On the Moon: Read the Full Story Here]

Chang'e 3 Landing Site Context Mosaic

NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

LROC WAC context mosaic for the Chang'e 3 landing site (large white arrow); small white arrows indicate wrinkle ridge and small black arrows delimit boundary between "red" mare (northeast) and "blue" mare (southwest), image is 100 km wide.

Chang'e 3 Landing Site in Color

NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

LROC WAC color (689 nm, 415 nm, 321 nm) overlain on WAC sunset BW image. Note the proximity of the landing site to a contact between red and blue maria.

Chang'e 3 Lands on the Moon

CNTV

China's Chang'e 3 mission control team applauds after the successful landing of the Chang'e 3 lander carrying the Yutu rover on Dec. 14, 2013. This view is a still from a broadcast by the state-run CNTV. [China Lands On Moon: Read the Full Story Here]

Chang'e 3 Lunar Lander and Moon Rover

Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering

The Chang'e 3 lunar lander and moon rover is part of the second phase of China's three-step robotic lunar exploration program. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]

Bay of Rainbows

NASA/GSFC/ASU

The reported landing zone for Chang'e 3 mission, the Bay of Rainbows. The lander will deploy a heavily instrumented rover to reconnoiter the area. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]

Chang'e 3 On The Moon

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China's Chang'e 3 spacecraft landed on the moon at 8:11 a.m. EST on Dec. 14, 2013. This graphic is a depiction of Chang'e 3 with solar arrays deployed overlaid on imagery of its target landing site on the moon's Bay of Rainbows. [China Lands On Moon: Read the Full Story Here]

China's Chang'e 3 Approaches the Moon

CNTV

China's Chang'e 3 approaches the moon for a landing on Dec. 14, 2013 in this depiction of its descent engine burn. The spacecraft was targeted to land in the moon's Bay of Rainbows. Image still captured from state-run CNTV. [China Lands On Moon: Read the Full Story Here]

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