Up and at’em! China’s Chang’e-4 probe resumes work on FAR SIDE of the Moon

China’s Yutu-2 lunar rover and Chang’e-4 spacecraft have sprung back to life and resumed work on the far side of the Moon, after a brief slumber as the Earth’s natural satellite was hidden from the Sun.

The lander awoke at 6:57am Beijing time on Tuesday, while the rover had come back to life at approximately 5:55pm Monday. Both machines are functioning normally and are ready to continue their work, the China National Space Administration said.

And so begins the pioneering robots’ 15th lunar day exploring the rocky surface. Lunar days are a period of time roughly equivalent to two weeks back here on Earth. 

During its time on Earth’s satellite, the Yutu-2, otherwise known as the Jade Rabbit-2, has travelled some 367.25 meters (1,204 ft) on the far side of the moon, and will continue along its northwesterly heading before turning southwest to continue exploring the eerie craters on the 'dark side' of the moon. 

The Chang'e-4 probe made the first-ever soft landing on the Moon's south pole on January 3, 2019.

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