Chang'e 3
Chang'e 3 lander on the lunar surface,
imaged by the Yutu rover |
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| Mission type | Lander and rover | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | CNSA | ||||
| COSPAR ID | 2013-070A | ||||
| SATCAT № | 39458 | ||||
| Mission duration | Lander: 1 year Rover: 3 months |
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| Spacecraft properties | |||||
| Manufacturer | Shanghai Aerospace System Engineering Institute | ||||
| BOL mass | 3,800 kg (8,400 lb) | ||||
| Landing mass | 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) Rover: 140 kg (310 lb) |
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| Dimensions | Rover: 1.5 m (4.9 ft) high | ||||
| Start of mission | |||||
| Launch date | 1 December 2013, 17:30 UTC | ||||
| Rocket | Long March 3B Y-23 | ||||
| Launch site | Xichang LC-2 | ||||
| Contractor | |||||
| Lunar lander | |||||
| Landing date | 14 December 2013, 13:11 UTC | ||||
| Landing site |
Mare Imbrium 44°07′N 19°31′W / 44.12°N 19.51°W |
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Chang'e 3 (pronunciation: /tʃæŋˈʌ/; simplified Chinese: 嫦娥三号; traditional Chinese: 嫦娥三號; pinyin: Cháng'é sān hào) is an unmanned lunar exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), incorporating a robotic lander and China's first lunar rover. It was launched in December 2013 as part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The mission's chief commander was Ma Xingrui.
The spacecraft was named after Chang'e, the goddess of the Moon in Chinese mythology, and is a follow-up to the Chang'e 1 and Chang'e 2 lunar orbiters. The rover was named Yutu (Chinese: 玉兔; literally: "Jade Rabbit") following an online poll, after the mythological rabbit that lives on the Moon as a pet of the Moon goddess.
Chang'e 3 achieved lunar orbit on 6 December 2013 and landed on 14 December 2013, becoming the first spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 in 1976. On 28 December 2015, the discovery by Chang'e 3 of a new type of basaltic rock, rich in ilmenite, a black mineral, was reported.
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