China's Yutu-2 lunar rover beams back images from moon's far side

China's Yutu-2 lunar rover sent back the latest images of the lunar surface from the far side of the moon on Tuesday, according to China Media Group (CMG).

The rover has traveled 1,613 meters so far, becoming the longest working rover on the moon.

Yutu-2, or Jade Rabbit-2, is part of the Chang'e-4 probe that landed on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on January 3, 2019. The rover has completed its work for the 71st lunar day, marking nearly five years and nine months of operation – far beyond its original three-month design lifespan. 

One of the photos beamed back to Earth on September 10 showed the rover leaving marks on the lunar surface that resembled a mooncake. Zuo Wei, the deputy chief designer of the Chang'e-4 mission's ground application system, said that this could symbolize a celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important traditional holidays for Chinese people that falls on Tuesday this year.

"I think maybe it's because the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and it wants to draw a mooncake pattern to echo the festive theme," Zuo told CMG.

The collection of photos highlighted a variety of features of the moon's surface, including flat areas, hills, impact craters and large rocks. 

In addition to Yutu-2, the Chang'e-3 probe and Chang'e-4 lander are also operational on the moon. While some scientific instruments continue to function and transmit data, researchers are also evaluating their long-term operational capabilities. 

"The moon-based optical telescope onboard Chang'e-3 lander is still operational, performing regular on-off cycles every month, though it is no longer conducting scientific observations. Chang'e-4 is also still active," Zuo said.

In addition, the country's Queqiao and Queqiao-2 relay satellites are working in the orbit around the moon. Queqiao mainly provides Earth-moon relay communications for Chang'e-4 and Yutu-2. After completing its mission for Chang'e-6, Queqiao-2 is currently conducting scientific observations in orbit while awaiting the arrival of Chang'e-7, scheduled for launch around 2026.

Lean more about Yutu-2 here.