On Dec. 1, 2013, China launched its first-ever mission to land a rover on the moon. With the Yutu rover on board, the Chang’e 3 moon lander lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on a modified Long March 3B rocket.
The mission was named after Chang’e, the goddess of the moon in Chinese mythology. The rover, Yutu, was named after the Jade Rabbit, who was a companion of the moon goddess.
Chang’e 3 arrived in lunar orbit five days after the launch and touched down on the lunar surface one week later, on Dec. 14. It was the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the moon in 37 years.
A few hours later, the small, six-wheeled Yutu emerged from the spacecraft, becoming the first robot to rove on the moon since 1973.
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