Yutu (Chinese: ??

; literally "Jade Rabbit") is an unmanned Chinese lunar rover w hich forms part of the Chang'e 3 mission to the Moon. It was launched at 17:30 U TC on 1 December 2013, and reached the Moon's surface on 14 December 2013.[7] Th e mission marks the first soft landing on the Moon since 1976 and the first rove r to operate there since the Soviet Lunokhod 2 ceased operations on 11 May 1973. [8] Contents [hide] 1 History 2 Objectives 3 Specifications 3.1 Power 4 Scientific payload 4.1 Ground-penetrating radar 4.2 Spectrometers 4.3 Cameras 5 Landing site 6 See also 7 References 8 External links History[edit] The Yutu lunar rover was developed by Shanghai Aerospace System Engineering Inst itute (SASEI) and Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering (BISSE). Th e development of the six-wheeled rover began in 2002 and was completed in May 20 10.[9][10][11] It was designed to deploy from the lander and explore the lunar s urface independently. The rover's name was selected in an online poll, it is a r eference to the Chinese folklore about the pet rabbit of the Moon goddess Chang' e.[11] Objectives[edit] The official mission objective is to achieve China's first soft-landing and rovi ng exploration on the Moon, as well as to develop and analyze key technological developments.[12] The scientific objectives of Chang'e-3 mainly include lunar surface topography a nd geology survey, lunar surface material composition and resource survey, Sun-E arth-Moon space environment detection and lunar-based astronomical observation.[ 12] Chang'e 3 will attempt to perform the first direct measurement of the struct ure and depth of the lunar soil down to a depth of 30 m (98 ft), and investigate the lunar crust structure down to several hundred meters deep.[13] The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program has been divided into three main operation al phases, which are:[12] orbiting (Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2) landing (Chang'e 3 and Chang'e 4) sample return (Chang'e 5 circa 2020) Specifications[edit] Unlike NASA or the European Space Agency, the China National Space Administratio n reveals little about its missions to the public,[8] so information on the miss ion is scant. Some information is available in domestic publications like China Space News, however.[8] The Yutu rover is slightly smaller than the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and carries similar instruments: panoramic cameras and two spectrom eters, one operating in the infrared, the other using alpha particles and X-rays (APXS).[8][14] Yutu is equipped with a robotic arm to position the APXS near th e target sample. The rover has a mass of approximately 120 kilograms (260 lb) and a payload capac ity of approximately 20 kg (44 lb).[1][2][15] It may transmit video in real time and has automatic sensors to prevent it from colliding with other objects. Power[edit] The six-wheeled rover is designed to explore an area of 3 square kilometres (1.2

sq mi) during its 3-month mission, with a maximum travelling distance of 10 km (6.2 mi). Energy would be provided by a solar panel, allowing the rover to opera te through lunar days. During the lunar nights, the lander and the rover will go into 'sleep mode'.[12] Heating will be provided by use of radioisotope heater u nits (RHU) and two-phase fluid loops.[16] Scientific payload[edit]

The planned landing site was Sinus Iridum, a lava-filled crater 249 km in diamet er. Arrow shows location of Soviet Lunokhod 1 rover. The actual landing took pla ce east of it, on Mare Imbrium, about 44 km southeast of Laplace F crater The Yutu rover carries a ground-penetrating radar and spectrometers to inspect t he composition of the soil and the structure of the lunar crust beneath it. It d oes not have a scoop, drill or brushes. Ground-penetrating radar[edit] The rover carries a ground-penetrating radar on its underside, allowing for the first direct measurement of the structure and depth of the lunar soil down to a depth of 30 m (98 ft), and investigation of the lunar crust structure down to se veral hundred meters deep.[13] Spectrometers[edit] The rover carries an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer[14] and an Infrared spect rometer to analyze the chemical element composition of lunar samples. Cameras[edit] There are two panoramic cameras on the mast of the Chang'e 3 rover, along with t wo navigation cameras (also on the mast) and two hazard avoidance cameras (insta lled on the lower front portion of the rover). Landing site[edit] The planned landing site was announced to be Sinus Iridum.[17] However, the land er descended on Mare Imbrium, about 40 km south of the 6 km diameter Laplace F c rater,[18][19] at 44.1260N 19.5014W.[19][20][21] Chang'e 3 landed on 14 December 2013 and deployed the Yutu rover 7 hours and 24 minutes later.[22] See also[edit] Lunokhod 1 Lunokhod 2