Yutu: The Rover That Learned to Stand Still

Transcription

China’s Yutu, or Jade Rabbit, was the small lunar rover carried by the Chang’e 3 mission, launched on December 1, 2013. Its purpose was to study the Moon’s terrain, geology, surface materials, and space environment, while also supporting astronomical observations. After landing, Yutu moved between several points, traveled about twenty-one meters, and tested its robotic arm before entering hibernation for the lunar night. Then came an unexpected mechanical-control anomaly. Chinese media linked it to the complicated lunar surface environment. After the lunar night, controllers found that Yutu could no longer drive, apparently because of a control-circuit malfunction in its driving unit. The failure also affected the mechanism that positioned its solar panels, threatening its power supply. But the mission was not simply abandoned. Yutu was repurposed as a stationary science platform and continued communicating with mission control. It remained immobile but operational through at least July 2016, and was declared dead the following month. In all, it operated for thirty-one months. Yutu’s legacy is a reminder that lunar exploration can continue even after a rover loses the ability to roam.