China's Yutu-2 rover is set to awaken on the Moon's far side after surviving another extreme lunar night. It has now traveled over 708 meters since landing more than two years ago.
On January 3, 2019, China made history with the Chang'e-4 mission, achieving the first soft landing on the Moon's far side. The lander and Yutu-2 rover touched down in Von Karman Crater within the South Pole-Aitken Basin—the solar system's largest impact crater.
Both entered hibernation on April 19 ahead of sunset, when temperatures plunged to minus 180 degrees Celsius. They are scheduled to reactivate a few days after sunrise over Von Kármán Crater.
From its landing site, Yutu-2 has ventured northwest, covering 708.9 meters total. Equipped with panoramic cameras, Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR), and a visible/near-infrared spectrometer (VNIS), it has gathered invaluable data.
This 140-kg, six-wheeled rover has detected distinct subsurface rock layers likely formed by ancient volcanism and asteroid impacts.
Far exceeding its planned 90-Earth-day lifespan, Yutu-2 recently imaged an unusual, elongated, geologically young stone. Scientists suspect it's ejecta from the nearby Finsen crater rather than exposed bedrock. Further analysis using the VNIS will examine its light-reflected composition to confirm origins.
Next, the rover will head north to locate and study basalt rocks, shedding light on the region's volcanic history.
Meanwhile, China's Zhurong rover, part of the nation's first Mars mission, is poised to attempt a landing in Utopia Planitia. Success would make China the second nation after the U.S. to achieve a soft Mars landing.
