This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26153520
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover 'declared dead' | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| China's first lunar rover has been declared dead on the surface of the Moon, reports in state media say. | |
| The robot "could not be restored to full function on Monday as expected", the China News Service said. | |
| The Jade Rabbit, or Yutu in Chinese, suffered a serious mechanical problem in January and "has been unable to function since then", the report said. | |
| However, China's Global Times newspaper later said the rover "showed signs of awakening on Wednesday". | |
| It added that data about the rover's "current condition and repair progress is still being collected and analysed", and an official update was expected "in the coming days". | |
| The Jade Rabbit's deployment on 15 December was the first successful landing on the Moon since 1976. | |
| It was expected to operate for about three months. | |
| Social media debate | |
| The malfunction in late January emerged before the rover entered its scheduled dormancy period, Xinhua news agency reported at the time. | |
| The rover was due to become dormant for 14 days during the lunar night, when there would be no sunlight to power the rover's solar panel, reports said. | |
| If confirmed, the latest suggestion of the demise of the robot will be seen as a major blow to China's ambitious space programme. | |
| The announcement has also generated extensive discussion on Chinese social media. |