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Saturday, 4 January 2014

China's Moon Rover and Lander Spotted by NASA Spacecraft (Photos)


China's Chang'e 3 moon rover (large arrow) and rover (small arrow) are shown in this view from the LROC NAC instrument of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter just before lunar sunset on their first "day." Image released Dec. 30, 2013.
China's Chang'e 3 moon rover (large arrow) and rover (small arrow) are shown in this view from the LROC NAC instrument of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter just before lunar sunset on their first "day." Image released Dec. 30, 2013.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
China's first moon lander and rover have been spotted on the lunar surface by a sharp-shooting NASA spacecraft orbiting the moon.
The Chinese Chang'e 3 spacecraft landed on the moon on Dec. 14, touching down in a region dubbed Mare Imbrium after a five-day trek to the lunar surface. The spacecraft's moon rover Yutu ("Jade Rabbit" in Chinese) was deployed from its Chang'e 3 mother ship soon after, marking two space exploration firsts for China – a soft-landing and rover on the moon.
In the new NASA images, the Chang'e 3 lander and Yutu rover are clearly visible in photos by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO. The powerful NASA lunar orbiter has been studying the moon since its launch in 2009. [Photos: China's Chang'e 3 Moon Mission in Pictures]

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