Tech & Sci
2019.12.14 18:21 GMT+8

China's Yutu-2 rover sets new record for longest time working on the Moon

Updated 2019.12.14 18:21 GMT+8
By Gong Zhe

China's Yutu-2 rover broke the record for working for the longest time on the Moon, which was previously set by the Soviet Union's Lunokhod-1.

Yutu-2 has been working on the Moon for over 11 months, since January 3, while Lunokhod-1 worked for 10 and a half months.

The rover traveled 345 meters on the Moon. Though it seems to be a very short distance, which an average human can walk in a few minutes, it's much harder for a solar-powered machine.

Days and nights are both significantly longer on the Moon. Each period lasts about 14 days, which means the rover works for two weeks straight and then "sleeps" for another two weeks because there's no sunlight.

Yutu-2 will go on working on the Moon.

Click here for a more detailed explanation of how the rover works on the Moon.

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