https://www.scmp.com/rss/311371/feed China's Jade Rabbit - or Yutu - rover is the first vehicle to land on the Moon in almost 40 years. The Chang'e-3 mission blasted off from Xichang in southern China on December 1, 2013, and landed on the Moon’s surface on December 14. Developed by Shanghai Aerospace System Engineering Institute and Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering, the lunar rover was designed to explore an area of 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) during its 3-month mission. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The United States and China are talking about how to protect Neil Armstrong’s footprint and other traces of the first humans to step on the moon, a Chinese researcher has revealed. Li Hongbo, a senior researcher and deputy chief engineer at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, told state broadcaster CCTV there was no reason to worry about China’s Yutu lunar rovers destroying the first human footprint left on the moon “at the moment”. But she said during Monday’s interview that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3268448/us-and-china-talking-about-how-preserve-neil-armstrongs-footprint-moon-top-scientist-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3268448/us-and-china-talking-about-how-preserve-neil-armstrongs-footprint-moon-top-scientist-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 22:00:15 +0000 China left its mark on the far side of the moon before lifting off for its return to Earth on Tuesday: a lander equipped with a robotic hand inscribed the character zhong (中 – meaning middle and part of the country’s name: 中国) on the lunar surface and unfurled a Chinese flag after collecting rock samples. Nothing is simple in a lunar mission, but the uncrewed Chang’e 6’s trip to the hidden side of the moon presented a particularly complex set of challenges, including difficult communication and... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3265482/chinas-out-sight-lunar-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3265482/chinas-out-sight-lunar-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Jun 2024 09:32:11 +0000 China’s Chang’e 6 robotic mission to bring back samples from the far side of the moon for the first time is expected to lift off this week as the country takes another step in its ambitions to put a person on the lunar surface by 2030. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Saturday that the Chang’e 6 lunar probe and the Long March-5 Y8 carrier rocket combination had been transported to the launch pad at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan province for final tests and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3260689/countdown-starts-chinas-change-6-sample-mission-far-side-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3260689/countdown-starts-chinas-change-6-sample-mission-far-side-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Apr 2024 12:00:09 +0000 An American private lunar lander mission frustrated by technical problems is a setback for the United States’ ambitions to return to the moon cost effectively, and might leave it behind in the moon race with China, a space policy expert said. A few hours after the Peregrine spacecraft lifted off from Florida on Monday, carrying scientific instruments and other payload, it suffered a propellant leak, according to Astrobotic, the Pennsylvania-based company that built the craft. The leak caused the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3247917/feared-failure-peregrine-mission-could-put-us-behind-china-moon-race-says-space-policy-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3247917/feared-failure-peregrine-mission-could-put-us-behind-china-moon-race-says-space-policy-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jan 2024 10:19:38 +0000 Space cooperation between China and Egypt has reached a new milestone, with the Arab nation joining the construction of a China-led moon base that is expected to be up and running by 2035. A cooperation agreement on the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) was signed between Zhang Kejian, director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), and Sherif Sedky, chief operating officer of the Egyptian Space Agency, in Beijing on Wednesday. The two countries will work together on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3244433/chinas-lunar-base-major-african-nation-joins-beijings-international-moon-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3244433/chinas-lunar-base-major-african-nation-joins-beijings-international-moon-project?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Dec 2023 13:00:15 +0000 The removal of Li Shangfu as China’s defence minister on Tuesday marked the end of the aerospace expert’s four-decade career in which he was instrumental in the country’s ambitious space programme. The National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s top lawmaking body, announced the decision at the end of a five-day meeting – after Li had disappeared from public view for more than two months. He was also dismissed from his position as a state councillor and expelled from the Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238868/removal-li-shangfu-chinas-defence-minister-ends-stratospheric-career-space-military-and-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3238868/removal-li-shangfu-chinas-defence-minister-ends-stratospheric-career-space-military-and-government?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:10:04 +0000 Space scientists in China have proposed a preliminary road map for the country to build a space resources system spanning the solar system by 2100. The system aims to economically explore, mine and use water ice and mineral resources beyond Earth, according to Wang Wei, lead scientist from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Wang said that with the rapid advancement of space technologies, the economic exploitation of space resources could soon go from the Earth-moon system to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3233067/china-launches-road-map-explore-solar-system-including-steps-towards-creating-space-age-tech-mine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3233067/china-launches-road-map-explore-solar-system-including-steps-towards-creating-space-age-tech-mine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Sep 2023 13:00:13 +0000 Researchers in China looking to future moon missions have developed a small, foldable vehicle to use for an emergency return to the lunar base or for short trips around the base. The 40kg (88lb) four-wheeled buggy, which is about the size of a mini bar fridge when folded and tucked in the back of a regular roving vehicle, can be easily expanded and has a maximum speed of 10km/h (6.2mph), according to the team from Jilin University and the China Academy of Space Technology. During performance... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3216534/could-folding-buggy-be-destined-chinas-future-lunar-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3216534/could-folding-buggy-be-destined-chinas-future-lunar-base?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Apr 2023 01:00:18 +0000 Premier League champions Manchester City have launched a new limited-edition kit inspired by China’s lunar rover, the Jade Rabbit. The Puma collection has been released ahead of the Year of the Rabbit, and as well as a new playing jersey includes an all-new jacket, tracksuit bottoms, and T-shirt. Overall, the kit looks to combine Manchester City’s heritage, which dates back to 1880, with classic Chinese culture references that pay tribute to the successful mission of China’s Lunar rover, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3206354/year-rabbit-manchester-city-unveils-new-limited-edition-kit-inspired-my-chinese-lunar-mission-2013?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3206354/year-rabbit-manchester-city-unveils-new-limited-edition-kit-inspired-my-chinese-lunar-mission-2013?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Jan 2023 03:04:00 +0000 China’s space programme is one of the fastest growing in the world. Less than 20 years after its first astronaut went to space in 2003, the country has launched satellites, space stations and rovers to Mars and the moon and has plans to explore Jupiter around 2030. For this year, Chinese space agencies have already announced several key milestones they aim to hit. Here are some of the most exciting. 1. Completion of Tiangong space station’s basic structure China launched its first experimental... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3161736/china-space-programme-4-key-missions-2022-include-finishing-core?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3161736/china-space-programme-4-key-missions-2022-include-finishing-core?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:22 +0000 The Chinese lunar rover Yutu 2 is on its way to investigate a cube-shaped object, described as a “mystery hut”, on the far side of the moon. The mission team of Yutu 2 spotted the object after examining a series of photos taken by the rover, according to Our Space, a science outreach media outlet affiliated with the Chinese space programme. The mysterious feature, pictured on the horizon and next to a young, large-impact crater, was about 80 metres (262 feet) from Yutu 2, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3158627/chinas-lunar-rover-yutu-2-mission-investigate-mystery-object-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3158627/chinas-lunar-rover-yutu-2-mission-investigate-mystery-object-far?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Dec 2021 09:00:18 +0000 Fifty years ago, on July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong left the first human footprint on the moon. At that time, China was one of the poorest countries on Earth. Most of its citizens could not afford a bicycle and its scientists were labouring on farms, far from their laboratories, in service to the Cultural Revolution. Fifty years later, Yutu 2 – also known as Jade Rabbit – a robotic rover from China, landed on the moon's far side to explore a world no other country could reach,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3019372/chinese-lunar-ambitions-soar-50-years-after-moon-landing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3019372/chinese-lunar-ambitions-soar-50-years-after-moon-landing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2019 15:00:07 +0000 China’s lunar rover, Yutu, has made a groundbreaking discovery that proves what scientists have been thinking for decades: that the moon has a mantle. Scientists have long suspected that the moon has a mantle under its crust, just like the Earth, but for the past 60 years lunar explorations, including the US Apollo missions, have failed to provide proof. While there were clues, there was no direct evidence. “Now we have it,” said Professor Li Chunlai, deputy director of the National Astronomical... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3010318/chinas-lunar-rover-ends-60-year-riddle-moons-mantle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3010318/chinas-lunar-rover-ends-60-year-riddle-moons-mantle?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 May 2019 17:00:14 +0000 If Chinese scientists, engineers and most importantly politicians have their way, here is what the future would look like. Groceries will be delivered to your doorstep by an autonomous car powered by Baidu’s (百度) system. Your smartphone, unlocked by a face scan, will run on a Pingtouge (平头哥) chip. A ride on the Fuxing (复兴) bullet train will transport you to a neighbouring state or country at 350 kilometres per hour. Instead of using GPS, you will be able to pinpoint your location via Beidou... https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2185261/uncovering-hidden-ambition-behind-weird-names-chinese-tech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/2185261/uncovering-hidden-ambition-behind-weird-names-chinese-tech?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Feb 2019 02:02:55 +0000 On the eve of the Lunar New Year, these stunning photos are the first images taken from the surface of the moon in almost four decades. And they were taken by China’s lunar lander Chang’e 3 and its rover Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, which touched down on the moon in December 2013. The China National Space Administration released thousands of the mission’s photos last year to an unwieldy, Chinese-language website. But they did not attract much attention until the Planetary Society’s Emily Lakdawalla... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1909936/postcards-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1909936/postcards-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Feb 2016 15:06:48 +0000 China has released new colour photographs of the moon, which show its surface in stunning detail. The Chinese space agency shared hundreds of pictures of the moon landing by lunar rover Yutu (also known as “Jade Rabbit”) and the Chang’e 3 lander. READ MORE: Nuclear space race picks up pace: China unveils rocket capable of firing 20 nukes to defeat US missile shield The mission was launched on December 1, 2013, but the images were only just made available to the general public, in a rare display... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1908638/china-releases-new-pictures-showing-stunning-details?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1908638/china-releases-new-pictures-showing-stunning-details?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Feb 2016 06:36:17 +0000 The Chinese lunar rover likely became crippled after hitting a rock while it navigated difficult terrain, according to a senior mainland scientist involved in the investigation into the breakdown. Zhang Yuhua, deputy chief designer of Yutu or "Jade Rabbit", said the area where the rover landed was more challenging than expected, Xinhua reported. The distribution of rocks made the area look "almost like a quarry", with at least four rocks at least 20cm high every 100 square metres, Zhang was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1556916/lunar-rover-likely-became-crippled-after-hitting-rock-expert-panel-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1556916/lunar-rover-likely-became-crippled-after-hitting-rock-expert-panel-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Jul 2014 21:30:30 +0000 Engineers are desperately trying to revive China's crippled lunar rover Jade Rabbit as fears grow that its mission could be over. It broke down six weeks into its three-month mission in late January because of "mechanical control abnormalities". And it has been parked up on the moon's surface for more than two months after travelling just 20 metres. Engineers now say a blockage in the power circuitry is to blame and are looking to bypass it. Professor Wang Jianyu, deputy secretary general with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1486425/last-ditch-efforts-salvage-mission-chinas-stricken-jade-rabbit-lunar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1486425/last-ditch-efforts-salvage-mission-chinas-stricken-jade-rabbit-lunar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2014 19:15:45 +0000 The Chang’e-3 moon probe and Jade Rabbit lunar rover have gone into a third hibernation to survive a 'cold night' on the moon, state news agency Xinhua has reported. The probe was out early on Sunday and the rover on Saturday afternoon, although an earlier mechanical control problem from a previous shutdown persists, Xinhua said. A Sina Weibo blog under the name 'Jade Rabbit Moon Rover', which has published updates on the rover's progress in the first person, posted the message "Good night" on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1433717/chinas-jade-rabbit-moon-rover-goes-hibernation-survive-cold-lunar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1433717/chinas-jade-rabbit-moon-rover-goes-hibernation-survive-cold-lunar?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2014 10:06:21 +0000 The Jade Rabbit lunar rover has bounced back to life but is suffering the same problems as before, state media reported on Thursday. China National Radio quoted the country’s lunar programme spokesman Pei Zhaoyu as saying the rover showed signs of "wakefulness". “It’s basically returned to the state it was in before it went to sleep,” Pei said. “It’s awake, but the problems are still there.” Xinhua posted on its official Weibo account also quoting Pei as saying the lunar rover still could be... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1426956/it-came-back-life-chinas-jade-rabbit-snaps-out-mechanical-failure-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1426956/it-came-back-life-chinas-jade-rabbit-snaps-out-mechanical-failure-state?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2014 01:45:00 +0000 US talk shows have seized upon the stories released by Xinhua that update the public on the malfunctioning lunar rover. The "dispatches" are written in the first person, and are intended to appear as if the Jade Rabbit writes them. The result suggests a plucky adventurer, mulling over life and death, but ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for "humanity". The pathos proved too much for some TV comics to resist. On Tuesday, Jon Stewart's The Daily Show ran a "live" segment of the rover... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1422449/actor-patrick-stewart-plays-dying-moon-rover-us-late-night-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1422449/actor-patrick-stewart-plays-dying-moon-rover-us-late-night-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Feb 2014 19:45:45 +0000 Failure is not a word Beijing takes lightly. Driven by a desire to become a superpower and with the world watching its every move, success in all endeavours is expected. The breakdown of the nation's first moon rover, Jade Rabbit, just halfway through its three-month mission, therefore risks being perceived negatively. If scientists are unable to make repairs, it could well be written off as a blot on the space programme. Such thinking is flawed. Life's greatest teachers are failure and defeat,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1417011/success-and-failure-two-sides-same-coin-chinas-space-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1417011/success-and-failure-two-sides-same-coin-chinas-space-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Jan 2014 19:56:40 +0000 Scientists may not be able to repair China's lunar rover, Jade Rabbit, that has broken down on the surface of the moon, a report on state media suggested. The report from Xinhua, written as if it sent by the rover itself, said the problems could prove insoluble. "Masters are working round the clock. In spite of that, I know I might not be able to make it through this lunar night," the "report" from Jade Rabbit said. "If this journey is to be suspended ahead of schedule, I am not fearful. No... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1414534/jade-rabbit-moon-rover-may-be-beyond-repair-state-media-hints?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1414534/jade-rabbit-moon-rover-may-be-beyond-repair-state-media-hints?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jan 2014 20:22:23 +0000 China's first lunar rover, the Jade Rabbit, appears to have broken down halfway through its three-month mission to the moon. Jade Rabbit experienced a "mechanical control abnormality" and scientists were examining the best ways to carry out repairs, Xinhua reported. The problem was the result of a "complicated lunar surface environment", Xinhua cited the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence as saying. The solar-powered Jade Rabbit, or Yutu, was supposed... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1413199/chinas-jade-rabbit-moon-rover-experiences-abnormality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1413199/chinas-jade-rabbit-moon-rover-experiences-abnormality?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Jan 2014 04:00:30 +0000 President Xi Jinping said China should be proud of its moon landing last month, stressing it was a national accomplishment. “The Chang-e 3 mission was one of China’s most complex and difficult missions in aerospace,” Xi told staffers of the space programme at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Monday morning to congratulate them on the mission. “It was a real and genuine Chinese product,” he said, according to the Xinhua news agency. “The most fundamental point is that China’s space industry... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1399790/moon-landing-100pc-made-china-says-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1399790/moon-landing-100pc-made-china-says-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jan 2014 07:30:15 +0000 "Be ambitious. Follow your dreams." This is the advice given to young people by Polytechnic University professor Yung Kai-leung, who has become a bit of a star himself after China's latest moon exploration mission adopted a gadget he developed. "There is no shortage of scientific talent in Hong Kong, but our society seems to have focused too much on finance and investment," said Professor Yung. "I hope our participation in our country's space mission can arouse young people's interest in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1384606/hong-kongs-change-3-hero-tells-young-people-reach-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1384606/hong-kongs-change-3-hero-tells-young-people-reach-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2013 21:46:19 +0000 China plans to launch another mission to the moon to bring rock samples back to earth by 2017, a year earlier than experts had predicted. Wu Zhijun, a spokesman for the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, told a press conference in Beijing on Monday that the Chang’e-5 mission would be launched in four years’ time. “After the success of Chang’e-3, the lunar exploration project enters the third phrase, the main objective of which is to bring samples... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1382055/china-launch-moon-rock-collecting-probe-2017?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1382055/china-launch-moon-rock-collecting-probe-2017?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:28:45 +0000 Hong Kong Polytechnic University Professor Yung Kai-leung is breathing a sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge the camera system he has developed for China’s Chang’e-3 moon landing mission has survived the extreme conditions of space and has been working well some 384,400 kilometres away on the moon. Yung, speaking to the South China Morning Post from Beijing where he is monitoring the operation of his camera pointing system, said he “felt very proud of being able to play a part in China’s lunar... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1382029/hong-kong-developed-camera-system-working-well-change-3?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1382029/hong-kong-developed-camera-system-working-well-change-3?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2013 10:09:55 +0000 https://www.scmp.com/infographics/article/1381901/lunar-mission-how-china-landed-moon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/article/1381901/lunar-mission-how-china-landed-moon?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2013 08:00:15 +0000 China's moon rover will survey for minerals on a dusty, barren crater named the Bay of Rainbows, but experts say there may be no pot of gold on the earth's natural satellite. The potential to extract the moon's resources has been touted as a key reason behind China's space programme, which made its latest breakthrough on Saturday with the landing of its first lunar rover. Luan Enjie, a senior adviser to the country's lunar programme, told state media that the ultimate aim was to use the moon as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1381438/chinas-moon-mining-dream-called-pie-sky?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1381438/chinas-moon-mining-dream-called-pie-sky?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2013 20:30:45 +0000 China's lunar rover Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, has rolled on to the surface of the moon and started beaming its first photographs back to earth last night. The Yutu and the Chang'e-3 landing spacecraft took photos of each other, including a close-up of the national flag on the Yutu. President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and other state leaders were in the flight control centre in Beijing to watch events unfold and shake hands with scientists. The rover took about 90 minutes to leave the landing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1381212/chinas-lunar-rover-yutu-rolls-smoothly-moons-surface?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1381212/chinas-lunar-rover-yutu-rolls-smoothly-moons-surface?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Dec 2013 08:01:18 +0000 An earth-observation satellite developed jointly by China and Brazil failed to reach orbit yesterday after its rocket malfunctioned on ascent, dealing a setback to China's ambitious space programme. The Long March 4B rocket blasted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in Shanxi province at 11.25am, but malfunctioned on its way through the atmosphere, Xinhua reported. It marked the first launch failure of the 4B since the model entered service in 1999. Chinese and Brazilian experts were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1377143/loss-brazil-satellite-deals-setback-china-space-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1377143/loss-brazil-satellite-deals-setback-china-space-ambitions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:15:15 +0000 Debris from the rocket carrying China’s first moon rover plummeted to earth in a village more than a thousand kilometres from the launch site, crashing into two homes, a report said on Tuesday. The incident about nine minutes after the launch of the Chang’e-3 mission early on Monday happened in Suining county in the central province of Hunan, which has been hit by space wreckage nearly 20 times, the Xiaoxiang Morning Post said. “Three of the roof beams have crashed down on our house, and a big... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1371869/space-launch-debris-wrecks-hunan-villagers-homes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1371869/space-launch-debris-wrecks-hunan-villagers-homes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2013 08:03:57 +0000 China launched its first moon rover mission early Monday, state TV showed, the latest step in an ambitious space programme seen as a symbol of its rising global stature. The Chang’e-3 rocket carrying the Jade Rabbit rover blasted off around 1:30 am (Sunday 1730 GMT), the CCTV official broadcaster showed in live footage from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the country’s southwest. As it shot into the dark sky, mission observers could be heard reporting at regular intervals that things were... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1370616/china-launches-its-first-moon-rover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1370616/china-launches-its-first-moon-rover?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2013 17:30:45 +0000 China’s first moon rover “Jade Rabbit,” named after a mythological animal living on the moon in an ancient Chinese tale, will be heading to the moon next month, Xinhua said. “China has chosen the name ‘Yutu’ [Jade Rabbit] for its first moon rover after a worldwide online poll challenged people to come up with names,” the state-owned news agency said. The name was announced at a press conference by Li Benzheng, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Chinese lunar programme, in Beijing on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1366148/chinese-lunar-rover-named-jade-rabbit-land-moon-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1366148/chinese-lunar-rover-named-jade-rabbit-land-moon-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2013 06:53:38 +0000 China offered a rare glimpse into its secretive space programme on Tuesday, displaying a model of a lunar rover that will explore the moon’s surface in an upcoming mission. Beijing has ambitious space goals, including plans to send its first probe to land on the moon by the end of this year, state media reported in August. The gold-coloured rover model, with six wheels and wing-like solar panels, attracted admiring crowds at the opening of the China International Industry Fair in Shanghai. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1348279/china-showcases-moon-rover-model-space-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1348279/china-showcases-moon-rover-model-space-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Nov 2013 08:11:16 +0000 The launch of China's most ambitious lunar probe, scheduled for sometime in December, will likely be a proud moment for many in the nation. But for some scientists, at least one of whom was directly involved in the project, the event will be frustrating. The rover, they say, shows little technological innovation, and borrows heavily from American and Soviet-era designs. The rover, they note, looks similar to Nasa's Opportunity, which has roamed Mars for nearly a decade. Both feature a flat back... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1339152/chinese-lunar-rover-looks-too-much-nasas-opportunity-say-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1339152/chinese-lunar-rover-looks-too-much-nasas-opportunity-say-scientists?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2013 19:15:30 +0000