China Launches Chang'e 3 Moon Mission: Liftoff
A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launches China's first moon rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit) on the Chang'e 3 lunar landing mission from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 2, 2013 local time (Dec. 1 EST) in this still image from a CCTV broadcast. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
China's Chang'e 3 Moon Rover
hina's Yutu moon rover, part of the Chang'e 3 lunar landing mission launching in December 2013. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
Sinus Iridum Area of Moon
Sinus Iridum area of the moon. It is likely that China will land a rover near Laplace A crater. Arrow shows location of Soviet Lunokhod 1 rover. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
Laplace A Crater
aplace A crater and nearby wrinkle ridge (diagonal at across lower right). The question mark shows a potential landing site from which the rover could traverse Northwest across the ridge to the edge of the crater. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
Chang'e 3 Moon Rover Yutu Model
A model of China's Chang'e 3 moon rover Yutu launching in December 2013. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
Chang’e-3 Mission to Moon
China's Chang'e 3 mission to the moon is designed to unleash six-wheel rover to scour the lunar surface. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
Chang'e 3's Lunar Descent
Chang’e 3 will power itself down onto the moon’s surface in a tricky maneuver. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
Chang'e 3 Moon Lander Testing
Chang'e 3 moon lander undergoes testing. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
Chang'e 3
China's next phase of its moon exploration program, the Chang'e 3 would soft land on the lunar surface and deploy instrument-laden rover. [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]
China’s Chang’e 3 Lunar Lander
China’s Chang’e 3 lunar lander/rover is undergoing extensive testing for flight to the moon later this year. One NASA scientist taking a look at the size of the spacecraft called it “lander envy.” [Read the Full Launch Story for China's 1st Moon Rover Mission]