Chang’e-4 Rover Unveiled
XinhuaAugust 15, Beijing: An image of China’s Chang’e-4 lunar probe rover. China’s moon lander and rover for the Chang’e-4 lunar probe, which is expected to land on the far side of the moon this year, were unveiled the same day. Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar probe program, noted that the Chang’e-4 rover largely kept the shape and conditions of its predecessor, the Yutu (Jade Rabbit), China’s first lunar rover for the 2013 Chang’e-3 lunar probe. However, it also has adaptable parts and an adjustable payload configuration to deal with the complex terrain on the far side of the moon, the demand of relay communication and the actual needs to complete scientific objectives, according to space scientists.
The Chang’e-4 lunar probe will land in the Aitken Basin in the lunar south pole region on the far side of the moon—a hot spot for scientific and space exploration.