China lands Jade Rabbit robot rover on Moon

China has successfully landed a craft carrying a robotic rover on the surface of the Moon, the first soft landing there for 37 years.   

On Saturday afternoon (GMT) (14.12.2013) , a landing module used thrusters to touch down, marking the latest step in China's ambitious space exploration programme.
Several hours later, the lander will deploy a robotic rover called Yutu, which translates as "Jade Rabbit".    The touchdown took place on a flat plain called Sinus Iridum.    The Chang'e-3 mission launched atop a Chinese-developed Long March 3B rocket on 1 December from Xichang in the country's south.

The Chinese television showed the pictures of the Moon's surface as the lander touched down.  This is the third robotic rover mission to land on Moon.  But the Chinese  vehicle carries a more sophisticated payload than previous missions, including ground-penetrating radar which will gather measurements of the lunar soil and crust.

The landing module reduced its speed at about 15 Km from the Moon surface.  When the landing module reached a distance of 100 meters from lunar surface, the craft fired thrusters to slow down its descent.  The lander switched off its thrusters at a distance of 4 m., and fell on the lunar surface.  The Jade Rabbit was expected to be deployed several hours after touchdown, driving down a ramp lowered by the landing module.

 Reports suggest the lander and rover will photograph each other at some point on Sunday.
According to Chinese space scientists, the mission is designed to test new technologies, gather scientific data and build intellectual expertise, as well as scouting for mineral resources that could eventually be mined.

Here is a photograph of moon surface taken on Dec. 14, 2013 by the on-board camera of the lunar probe  Chang'e-3 on the screen of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center in Beijing, capital of China.