New VIDEO shows Chinese probe roaming the ‘dark side’ of the Moon

Published time: 14 Jan, 2019 21:36

Chinese space agency has provided another peek into how its Chang’e 4 robotic probe is doing on the Moon after it became the first ever man-made craft to land of the unexplored far side of the Earth’s satellite.

In the footage, released on Chinese microblog Weibo, the rover is seen slowly driving on the greyish lunar surface and leaving deep tracks in the regolith. The vehicle then rotates on its four small wheels to show off the Chinese national flag to the camera, while a dramatic electronic soundtrack plays in the background.

Chang’e 4, named after the Chinese Moon goddess, touched down at the Von Karman Crater in South Pole-Aitken Basin on January 3. The probe has already sent a number of breathtaking photos from the ‘dark side’ of the Moon, a side that had been puzzling scientists for so long.

It’s been relatively unexplored due to always facing away from Earth and thus being shielded from radio frequencies. But China bypassed this complication by launching a relay satellite to keep in with touch Chang’e 4 last year.

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The rover’s mission won’t only be about snapping cool pictures; it’s also scheduled to perform several experiments, including testing how plants will grow in the low-gravity environment, and exploring the moon’s poles in search of water and other resources.

https://www.rt.com/news/448807-china-chang-e-moon-probe/