Chang'e 4 in Pictures: China's Mission to the Moon's Far Side

Liftoff for Chang'e 4!

Jiang Hongjing/Xinhua/Zuma

China launched its Chang'e 4 mission to the far side of the moon on Dec. 8, 2018 Beijing Time (Dec. 7 EST/GMT). China is the first country ever to send a rover to soft-land on the lunar farside. See the mission photos here!

Chang'e 4 Clears the Tower

Jiang Hongjing/Xinhua/Zuma

China’s Chang'e 4 lunar probe lifts off the pad at Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 7, 2018 (Dec. 8 local Chinese time).

Chang'e 4 Far Side Moon Spacecraft

CASC

The three main spacecraft of China's Chang'e 4 mission to the far side of the moon are seen in this still from a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation animation. The mission uses the Chang'e 4 lander and rover on the lunar surface, with communications supplied by the Queqiao relay satellite above.

A Yutu Successor

CNTV

The Chang'e 4 mission's rover is similar to the Yutu rover that successfully reached the moon on China's Chang'e 3 mission. The Chang'e 4 rover and lander were backup vehicles for that earlier moon landing.

The Lander

CASC

An artist's illustration of China's Chang'e 4 lander on the far side of the moon. Like its rover, Chang'e 4's lander was once a backup vehicle for the successful Chang'e 3 mission.

Chang'e 4 Mission Milestones CASC

CASC

This CASC graphic shows the major milestones of China's Chang'e 4 moon landing mission on the lunar far side, including an extended cruise time to the moon.

Chang'e 4 Rises into the Sky

Jiang Hongjing/Xinhua/Zuma

China’s Chang'e 4 lunar probe rises into the sky above Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 7, 2018 (Dec. 8 local Chinese time).

Liftoff for China's Chang'e 4 Moon Mission

CASC

The Long March 3B rocket carrying China's Chang'e 4 moon far side lander and rover lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 7, 2018 (Dec. 8 local Chinese time).

Launch Success for Chang'e 4

China National Space Administration

Liftoff of China's Chang'e 4 mission to the moon's far side occurred on Dec. 8, 2018 at 2:23 a.m. Beijing Time (1:23 p.m. EDT/1823 GMT on Dec. 7).

Meet Queqiao

CNSA

The Chang'e 4 spacecraft won't be alone at the moon. Before launching the lander and rover, the China National Space Administration sent the Queqiao relay satellite to the moon to serve as a communications relay for the mission.

China Launches Chang'e 4 Relay Satellite

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

China's Queqiao relay satellite for the country's Chang'e 4 mission to the far side of the moon launched into space atop a Long March 4C rocket on Monday, May 21, 2018 Beijing Time (Sunday, May 20 EDT).

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Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.