The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has released a mesmerising video from its Chang’e 4 lander showing the moment it landed on the moon’s far side on 3 January.
The craft had to perform the landing autonomously, since it could not communicate in real-time with mission control. It is now sending back data via a relay satellite positioned with a line of sight to both Earth and the lander.
The landing site, an enormous depression called the South Pole-Aitken basin, is thought to be a crater from a huge impact during the moon’s early years.
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The CNSA also released a 360-degree panoramic photo from the lander, pictured below, showing the Yutu 2 rover amid the lunar landscape. The terrain is littered with small craters, which could make it challenging for the rover to navigate.
Yutu 2 returned to action on Thursday after taking a break while solar radiation raised the temperature in the crater to over 100°C.
CLEP/CNSA
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![Small dome in the Compton-Belkovich region (61.33 ?N, 99.68 ?E). Evidence indicates a volcanic origin for this and other intriguing features in the region. Incidence angle is 64?, Sun is from the SSW, image is ~510 m across. NAC image number M139238146L [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].](https://images.newscientistbeta.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/07172644/SEI_163208069.jpg)
