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China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover 'declared dead' China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover 'could be saved'
(about 2 hours later)
China's first lunar rover has been declared dead on the surface of the Moon, reports in state media say. China's first lunar rover could potentially be saved, despite experiencing mechanical problems, state media report.
The robot "could not be restored to full function on Monday as expected", the China News Service said. The moon rover has "awoken" from its scheduled dormancy and "stands a chance of being saved", a spokesperson quoted by news agency Xinhua 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. The Jade Rabbit suffered a serious mechanical problem in January.
However, China's Global Times newspaper later said the rover "showed signs of awakening on Wednesday". Its deployment on 15 December was the first successful landing on the Moon since 1976.
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 lunar rover was expected to operate for about three months.
The Jade Rabbit's deployment on 15 December was the first successful landing on the Moon since 1976. 'Still alive'
It was expected to operate for about three months. Earlier reports in Chinese media had suggested that Jade Rabbit, or Yutu in Chinese, had been declared dead on the surface of the moon.
Social media debate In a report entitled "loss of lunar rover", the China News Service said that the rover "could not be restored to full function on Monday as expected" and was "mourned" by Chinese social media users.
The malfunction in late January emerged before the rover entered its scheduled dormancy period, Xinhua news agency reported at the time. However, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday that the rover was awake and was able to pick up signals, although it still had a mechanical malfunction.
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. "At first we were worried the rover could not withstand the low temperatures on the moon, because it entered its dormant state while in an abnormal state. But it is alive," Pei Zhaoyu, a spokesman for the lunar probe programme, said in comments quoted by Xinhua news agency.
If confirmed, the latest suggestion of the demise of the robot will be seen as a major blow to China's ambitious space programme. "It is still alive, so there is a chance it could be saved," Mr Pei added.
The announcement has also generated extensive discussion on Chinese social media. Radio amateurs also reported picking up downlink transmissions from the rover on Wednesday night, correspondents said.
The malfunction emerged in late January, before the rover entered its scheduled dormancy period, Xinhua reported at the time.
The rover had been scheduled 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.