China rover leaves first footprint on moon

China's Jade Rabbit 2 rover has rolled onto the lunar surface, leaving the first-ever "footprints" by a spacecraft on the far side of the moon.

Jade Rabbit-2 leaving tracks on the moon

China's Jade Rabbit-2 lunar rover has left tracks on the far side of the moon. (AAP)

A rover from China's Chang'e 4 probe has left the first "footprint" by a spacecraft on the far side of the moon, according to state media.

The rover, known as Jade Rabbit 2, left the impression late on Thursday after successfully separating from the lander, Xinhua news agency said.

The markings in the "loose lunar soil" were recorded by the lander and the images sent back to the Earth via the relay satellite "Queqiao", the China National Space Administration (CNSA) was quoted as saying.

Chang'e 4 arrived on the far side of the moon earlier on Thursday, landing in the Aitken Crater, named after US astronaut Robert Grant Aitken, near the moon's South Pole.

China has become the first country to land an object on the far side of the moon, a mission forming part of an ambitious space program that stretches decades into the future.

The Chang'e 4 probe, named after the Chinese goddess of the moon, carries a lander and a rover tasked with exploring the lunar surface and conducting experiments.

Planned experiments include measuring the satellite's water content and gauging the moon's radiation using an instrument developed by a team of German researchers.

Chang'e 4 is also carrying seeds for an experiment in cultivating vegetables in a closed environment on the lunar surface.


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world