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Yutu (rover)

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Yutu
玉兔
File:Yutu.jpg
Yutu rover on the lunar surface, imaged by the Chang'e 3 lander.
Mission typeLunar rover
OperatorCNSA
COSPAR ID2013-070C Edit this at Wikidata
Mission duration3 months[1]
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerSASEI and BISSE
Landing mass140 kg (310 lb)[2]
Dimensions1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Start of mission
Launch date1 December 2013, 17:30 (2013-12-01UTC17:30Z) UTC[3]
RocketLong March 3B Y-23
Launch siteXichang LC-2
Deployed fromChang'e 3
Lunar rover
Landing date14 December 2013, 13:12 UTC[4]
Landing siteMare Imbrium
44°07′N 19°31′W / 44.12°N 19.51°W / 44.12; -19.51[5]
File:Chang'e 3 lander and rover credit Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering.png
Rendering of the Chang'e 3 lander and rover (Yutu).
This file may be deleted after Friday, 20 December 2013.

Yutu (Chinese: 玉兔; pinyin: Yùtù; lit. 'Jade Rabbit') is an unmanned lunar rover that forms part of the Chinese Chang'e 3 mission to the Moon. It was launched at 17:30 UTC on 1 December 2013, and reached the Moon's surface on 14 December 2013.[6] The mission marks the first soft landing on the Moon since 1976 and the first rover to operate there since the Soviet Lunokhod 2 ceased operations on 11 May 1973.[7]

History

The Yutu lunar rover was developed by Shanghai Aerospace System Engineering Institute (SASEI) and Beijing Institute of Spacecraft System Engineering (BISSE). The development of the six-wheeled rover began in 2002 and was completed in May 2010.[8][9][10] It was designed to deploy from the lander and explore the lunar surface independently. The rover's name was selected in an online poll, and is a reference to the pet rabbit of Chang'e, the goddess of the Moon in Chinese mythology.[10]

Objectives

The official mission objective is to achieve China's first soft-landing and roving exploration on the Moon, as well as to demonstrate and develop key technologies for future missions.[11]

The scientific objectives of Chang'e-3 mainly include lunar surface topography and geology survey, lunar surface material composition and resource survey, Sun-Earth-Moon space environment detection and lunar-based astronomical observation.[11] Chang'e 3 will attempt to perform the first direct measurement of the structure 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.[12]

The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program has been divided into three main operational phases, which are:[11]

Specifications

Unlike NASA and ESA, the China National Space Administration reveals little about its missions to the public,[7] so information on the mission is scant. Some information is available in domestic publications like China Space News, however.[7]

The Yutu rover is smaller than the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and carries similar instruments: panoramic cameras, an infrared spectrometer and an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer (APXS).[7][13] Yutu is equipped with a robotic arm to position the APXS near the target sample. It can also transmit video in real time, and has automatic sensors to prevent it from colliding with other objects.

The rover has a mass of 140 kg (310 lb), with a payload capacity of 20 kg (44 lb).[1][2][14]

Power

The six-wheeled rover was 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 is provided by two solar panels, allowing the rover to operate through lunar days. During the 14-day lunar nights the rover will go into 'sleep mode'.[11] Heating is provided by radioisotope heater units (RHUs) and two-phase fluid loops.[15]

Scientific payload

The planned landing site was Sinus Iridum, a lava-filled crater 249 kilometres (155 mi)* in diameter. The actual landing took place on Mare Imbrium.

The Yutu rover carries a ground-penetrating radar and spectrometers to inspect the composition of the soil and the structure of the lunar crust beneath it.

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR)

The rover carries a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) 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 several hundred meters deep.[12]

Spectrometers

The rover carries an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer[16] and an infrared spectrometer, intended to analyze the chemical element composition of lunar samples.

Stereo cameras

There are two panoramic cameras and two navigation cameras on the rover's mast, which stands ~1.5 m (4.9 ft) above the lunar surface, as well as two hazard avoidance cameras installed on the lower front portion of the rover.[17] Each camera pair may be used to capture stereoscopic images, or for range imaging.

Landing site

Chang'e 3 landed on 14 December 2013 and deployed the Yutu rover 7 hours 24 minutes later.[18]

The planned landing site was announced to be Sinus Iridum.[19] However, the lander descended on Mare Imbrium, about 40 km (25 mi) south of the 6 km (3.7 mi) diameter Laplace F crater,[20][21] at 44.1260°N 19.5014°W.[21][22][23]

Current status

The rover was successfully deployed from the lander, and made contact with the lunar surface on 14 December, 20:35 UTC.[24] After taking pictures of each other the lander and rover commenced their respective science missions. On 17 December it was announced that all of the scientific tools apart from the spectrometers had been successfully activated, and that both the lander and rover were "functioning as hoped, despite the unexpectedly rigorous conditions of the lunar environment".[2] However, from 16 December to 20 December the rover did not move, having shut down its subsystems. Direct solar radiation had raised the temperature on the sunlit side of the rover to over 100°C, while the shaded side simultaneously fell below zero.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Chang'e-3: China To Launch First Moon Rover In 2013". Asian Scientist. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  2. ^ a b c "Most Chang'e-3 science tools activated". Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  3. ^ "China Starts Manufacturing Third Lunar Probe". English.cri.cn. Retrieved 2013-12-02.
  4. ^ China Will Kick Off December By Launching A Probe To The Moon - Forbes
  5. ^ Chang'e-3 soft-lands on moon
  6. ^ "China lands Jade Rabbit robot rover on Moon". BBC. 14 December 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d Molnár, László (24 May 2013). "Chang'e-3 revealed – and its massive!". Pull Space Technologies. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  8. ^ "登月车构造原理". 新华网. 24 April 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
  9. ^ "中国首辆登月车工程样机". 新华网. 24 April 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
  10. ^ a b Ramzy, Austin (26 November 2013). "China to Send 'Jade Rabbit' Rover to the Moon". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  11. ^ a b c d SUN ZeZhou (November 2013). "Technological advancements and promotion roles of Chang'e-3 lunar probe mission". Science China. 56 (11): 2702–2708. doi:10.1007/s11431-013-5377-0. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "Science China vol 56" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  12. ^ a b "欧阳自远：嫦娥三号明年发射将实现着陆器与月球车联合探测". Xinhua. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  13. ^ ""嫦娥三号"发射成功 将于5天后到达月球". Netease. 2 December 2013. paragraph “月兔”将巡天观地测月.
  14. ^ "China considering manned lunar landing in 2025–2030". Xinhua. 24 May 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
  15. ^ SUN ZeZhou (November 2013). "Technological advancements and promotion roles of Chang'e-3 lunar probe mission". Science China. 56 (11): 2702–2708. doi:10.1007/s11431-013-5377-0. During the lunar nights, the lander and the rover will go into the lunar-night sleep mode, and by use of radioisotope heater units (RHU) and two-phase fluid loops, lunar-night survival will be achieved. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ ""嫦娥三号"发射成功 将于5天后到达月球". Netease. 2 December 2013. paragraph “月兔”将巡天观地测月.
  17. ^ "Chang'e 3". SPACEFLIGHT101. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  18. ^ O'Neil, Ian (14 December 2013). "China's Rover Rolls! Yutu Begins Moon Mission". Discovery News. CCTV. Retrieved 2013-12-15.
  19. ^ "Chang'e 3 Diary". Zarya.info. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  20. ^ "Chang'e 3 landing coordinates". China News (CN). 14 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-15.
  21. ^ a b "Chang'e 3 has successfully landed on the Moon!". The Planetary Society. December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-15. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "China successfully lands robotic rover on the moon>".
  23. ^ "Landing map of Chang'e 3".
  24. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S7E572zTlc Live* Yutu Rover "Jade Rabbit" separates from lander on the Moon
  25. ^ "China's Yutu "naps", awakens and explores". Retrieved 2013-12-21.
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