How’s China’s “Space Rabbit”Doing on the Moon?中国的“太空兔”在月球上过得怎么样？

The year of 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit， which reminds us of the “rabbit” on the moon， Chinas Yutu-2 lunar rover.

The Yutu-2 is named after the pet rabbit of the Chinese moon goddess Change. On January 3， 2019， the rover was brought to the far side of the moon by Chinas Change-4 lunar probe. It was the first-ever soft landing on the previously uncharted area of the lunar surface.

Its been four years since the historic landing. Hows the “space rabbit” doing on the moon？

The Change-4 lunar probe consists of a lander and the Yutu-2 rover. Before its launch， a relay satellite was sent into space in May 2018 to facilitate earth-moon communication.

The landing area of the probe is the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon.

The Yutu-2 rover can climb 20-degree slopes and surmount obstacles up to 200 millimeters high. Its designated service life was said to be only three months， but it has now worked for a record four years on the moon.

2023年是兔年，这让我们想起了月球上的“兔子”——中国的“玉兔二号”月球车。

“玉兔二号”是以中国神话中的月中女神嫦娥的宠物兔子命名的。2019年1月3日，中国“嫦娥四号”月球探测器将月球车带到了月球背面。这是月球车首次在月球表面未知区域软着陆。

距离历史性的着陆已经过去四年。“太空兔”在月球上过得怎么样？

“嫦娥四号”月球探测器由着陆器和“玉兔二号”月球车组成。在发射之前，2018年5月，一颗中继卫星被送入太空，以促进地月通信。

探测器的着陆区域是月球背面南极-艾托肯盆地的冯·卡门撞击坑。

“玉兔二号”月球车可以爬上20度的斜坡，越过高达200毫米的障碍。虽然设计寿命只有三个月，但它已经在月球上工作了创纪录的四年。

So far， the rover has collected valuable data on solar wind and cloddy soil research， gel-like rocks， and fresh small craters inside the Von Karman Crater. The data and images sent back by the Yutu-2 have enhanced geological knowledge of the landing site， deepening understanding of the formation and evolution of the moon.

Here is a fun tidbit. Of the many pictures of the lunar landscape taken by the Yutu-2， one mysterious square object caused great debate among people on Earth over what it was. When the rover finally approached the object， it turned out to be a rabbit-shaped rock. What an interesting coincidence！

The Yutu-2 has traveled more than 1，400 meters on the far side of the moon so far. It will continue its journey and unveil more mysteries of the moon.

著陆至今，“玉兔二号”已经收集了关于太阳风和土壤研究、凝胶状岩石以及冯·卡门撞击坑内新形成的小撞击坑的宝贵数据。“玉兔二号”传回的数据和图像帮助人类增加了对着陆点的地质认识，加深了对月球形成和演化的了解。

和大家分享一则趣闻。在“玉兔二号”拍摄的许多月球地貌照片中，一个神秘的方形物体引起了关注，大家都在讨论它究竟是什么。当“玉兔二号”最终靠近该物体时，大家发现原来是一块兔子形状的岩石。真是个有趣的巧合！

到目前为止，“玉兔二号”已经在月球背面行驶了1400多米。它将继续它的旅程，揭开更多月球的奥秘。

Word Bank

probe /pr??b/ n. 航天探测器

enhance /?n'hɑ?ns/ v. 提高；增加

Large paintings can enhance the feeling of space in small rooms.

unveil /'?n've?l/ v. 揭示；揭去面纱