spacetoday.net: Chang'e-3 lander deploys rover

Posted: Sun, Dec 15, 2013, 10:48 AM ET (1548 GMT)
Yutu rover rolling onto lunar surface (Xinhua)

China's Chang'e-3 spacecraft deployed its Yutu rover early Sunday, several hours after landing. The rover rolled off a transporter ramp that had lowered the rover from the top of the lander to just above the lunar surface, making contact with the lunar surface at 3:35 pm EST Saturday (2035 GMT Saturday, 4:35 am Beijing time Sunday). The rover moved a short distance from the lander; it is expected to move around the lander late Sunday as the two spacecraft take images of each other. Yutu, or "Jade Rabbit," is designed to operate for at least three months, while the Chang'e-1 lander is designed to work for at least a year.