Chang'e 4
Chang'e 4 (/tʃɑːŋˈə/; Chinese: 嫦娥四号; pinyin: Cháng'é Sìhào; lit. 'Chang'e No. 4') is a robotic spacecraft mission in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program of the CNSA. China achieved humanity's first soft landing on the far side of the Moon with its touchdown on 3 January 2019.
Top: Chang'e 4 lander on the surface of the Moon Bottom: Yutu-2 rover on lunar surface. | |
| Mission type | Lander, lunar rover |
|---|---|
| Operator | CNSA |
| COSPAR ID | 2018-103A |
| SATCAT no. | 43845 |
| Mission duration | Lander: 12 months (planned) 5 years, 3 months, 15 days (in progress) Rover: 3 months (planned) 5 years, 3 months, 15 days (in progress) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | Total: 3,780 kg Lander: 3,640 kg Rover: 140 kg |
| Landing mass | Total: ~1,200 kg; rover: 140 kg |
| Dimensions | Rover: 1.5 × 1.0 × 1.0 m |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | Lander and rover: 7 December 2018, 18:23 UTC Queqiao relay satellite: 20 May 2018 |
| Rocket | Long March 3B |
| Launch site | Xichang Satellite Launch Center, LA-2 |
| Earth-Moon L2 point orbiter | |
| Orbital insertion | 14 June 2018 |
| Lunar lander | |
| Landing date | Lander and rover: 3 January 2019, 02:26 UTC |
| Landing site | Von Kármán crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin 45.444°S 177.599°E |
| Lunar rover | |
| Distance driven | 1.455 km (0.904 mi) as of 3 January 2023 |
| Chang'e probes | |
A communication relay satellite, Queqiao, was first launched to a halo orbit near the Earth–Moon L2 point in May 2018. The robotic lander and Yutu-2 (Chinese: 玉兔二号; pinyin: Yùtù Èrhào; lit. 'Jade Rabbit No. 2') rover were launched on 7 December 2018 and entered lunar orbit on 12 December 2018, before landing on the Moon's far side. On 15 January it was announced that seeds had sprouted in the lunar lander's biological experiment, the first plants to sprout on the Moon. The mission is the follow-up to Chang'e 3, the first Chinese landing on the Moon.
The spacecraft was originally built as a backup for Chang'e 3 and became available after Chang'e 3 landed successfully in 2013. The configuration of Chang'e 4 was adjusted to meet new scientific and performance objectives. Like its predecessors, the mission is named after Chang'e, the Chinese Moon goddess.
In November 2019, Chang'e 4 mission team was awarded Gold Medal by the Royal Aeronautical Society. In October 2020, the mission was awarded the World Space Award by the International Astronautical Federation. Both were the first time for any Chinese mission to receive such awards.