Chang'e 3 and 4

Author(s): Thomas Tarrants (Sirius_Alpha)

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Chang'e 3 and 4 are CNSA-led robotic missions that conducted the first lunar landings of the 21st century. Their successful landings made China the third country to land on the Moon safely, delivered the first rovers to the Moon since the Lunokhods, and the first to explore the Far Side of the Moon. Both missions are still active to this day

Chang'e 3 and Yutu-1

Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
(2007-Present)
Mission Component Start End
Chang'e 3 Lander 2013-Dec-1(Active)
Landed within Mare Imbrium on December 14th, making China the third country to successfully land on the Moon intact. Currently the longest-lived operational spacecraft on the lunar surface
Yutu-1 (Rover) 2013-Dec-142016-Jul-31
First rover on the Moon since Lunokhod 2. Travelled only 114 meters before it went permanently immobile from 2014-2016
Chang'e 4 Lander 2018-Dec-7(Active)
Landed within Von Karman Crater on January 3rd, becoming the first spacecraft to land on the Far Side of the Moon
Yutu-2 (Rover) 2019-Jan-3(Active)
Longest-lived active rover on the lunar surface. Travelled nearly 1.6 km (as of May 2024)

Chang'e 4 and Yutu-2

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