Mission Summary
Chang’e 4 successfully delivered Yutu-2 (Jade Rabbit 2) to the Moon on January 3, 2019, becoming the first mission in history to achieve a soft landing on the Moon’s far side. Touching down inside Von Kármán Crater within the immense South Pole–Aitken Basin, the mission overcame the unique challenge of operating where direct communication with Earth is impossible by relying on the Queqiao relay satellite positioned beyond the Moon. The mission marked another major milestone in China’s steadily advancing lunar exploration program.
After leaving the lander, Yutu-2 began exploring the crater floor using cameras, ground-penetrating radar, spectrometers, and other scientific instruments to investigate the geology and subsurface structure of one of the Moon’s oldest and largest impact basins. The rover has traveled well beyond its original design lifetime while returning thousands of images and valuable scientific data, providing new insights into the composition and evolution of the lunar crust. The stationary lander has also conducted radio astronomy and environmental measurements on the lunar far side.
Chang’e 4 demonstrated technologies required for sustained exploration of the Moon’s far side and significantly expanded scientific understanding of the South Pole–Aitken Basin. Together with Yutu-2’s exceptional longevity, the mission laid the groundwork for later Chinese lunar missions, including the successful Chang’e 6 sample-return mission from the Moon’s far side.
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
