Yutu enters hibernation again with its technical problems unresolved
Posted: Sun, Feb 23, 2014, 10:16 AM ET (1516 GMT)
China's Yutu lunar rover entered its third two-week hibernation period Saturday with technical problems that earlier appeared to jeopardize the mission unresolved, official media reported. The rover entered hibernation as lunar night began Saturday still suffering from unspecified "mechanical control issues that might cripple the vehicle," according to the Xinhua news agency. Those issues have not affected the rover's instruments, including radar, panoramic camera, and infrared imager, which are all working. However, the problems have apparently prevented the rover from moving, as the report indicated Yutu was limited to "fixed point observations" during the latest lunar day. Officials had reported the technical problems with the rover prior to going into hibernation last month, and problems establishing contact with the rover after that hibernation period ended two weeks ago led to reports that the rover had died. Yutu arrived on the Moon in December with the Chang'e-3 lander; that spacecraft also went into hibernation this weekend after carrying out observations with its instruments.
China's Yutu lunar rover entered its third two-week hibernation period Saturday with technical problems that earlier appeared to jeopardize the mission unresolved, official media reported. The rover entered hibernation as lunar night began Saturday still suffering from unspecified "mechanical control issues that might cripple the vehicle," according to the Xinhua news agency. Those issues have not affected the rover's instruments, including radar, panoramic camera, and infrared imager, which are all working. However, the problems have apparently prevented the rover from moving, as the report indicated Yutu was limited to "fixed point observations" during the latest lunar day. Officials had reported the technical problems with the rover prior to going into hibernation last month, and problems establishing contact with the rover after that hibernation period ended two weeks ago led to reports that the rover had died. Yutu arrived on the Moon in December with the Chang'e-3 lander; that spacecraft also went into hibernation this weekend after carrying out observations with its instruments.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Space Force picks 14 companies for GEO surveillance program
Posted: Sat, Apr 11 10:34 AM ET (1434 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, April 13
Musk hurls expletives at senior SA diplomat in Starlink row
TechCentral — 5:42 am ET (0942 GMT) Vandenberg Space Force Base Takes ‘Mission Update’ to Carpinteria
Santa Barbara (CA) Edhat — 5:41 am ET (0941 GMT) Blue Origin Targeting April 16 For New Glenn Flight 3
Aviation Week — 5:39 am ET (0939 GMT) SpaceX rocket launch overnight from Cape Canaveral: Everything to know
Florida Today — 5:38 am ET (0938 GMT) Will Korean investors get access to SpaceX IPO?
Korea Herald — 5:36 am ET (0936 GMT) |
