Chang'e 3

Chang'e 3 was China's first lunar soft-landing mission and the first soft landing on the Moon since Luna 24 in 1976. The Yutu ('Jade Rabbit') rover was deployed and operated in Mare Imbrium for 31 months, far exceeding its designed lifespan.

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Agency / Country

China National Space Administration (CNSA) (China)

Mission Status

LANDED

Launch / Target Year

2013

Spacecraft / Type

Chang'e 3 lander + Yutu rover

Landing Site Zone

Sinus Iridum (Chang'e 3 Site)

Surface Coordinates

Lat 44.12°, Lon -19.51°

Mission Imagery & Gallery

Chang'e 3 photograph 1: CNSA — Chang'e 3 lander on the lunar surface in the Sinus Iridum region, December 2013. First Chinese lunar soft landing. (CNSA, public domain) — CNSA — Chang'e 3 lander on the lunar surface in the Sinus Iridum region, December 2013. First Chinese lunar soft landing. (CNSA, public domain)

Primary Achievement

First Chinese lunar soft landing; first soft landing on Moon since 1976

Mission Objectives

First Chinese soft landing on the Moon
Deploy Yutu rover for surface exploration
Conduct ground-penetrating radar survey of lunar subsurface
Test autonomous navigation and hazard avoidance
Astronomical observations from the lunar surface

Timeline Events

2013-12-01 — Launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center
2013-12-14 — Chang'e 3 lands in Sinus Iridum — first Chinese lunar landing
2013-12-14 — Yutu rover deployed onto lunar surface
2014-01-25 — Yutu suffers mechanical problem but continues limited ops
2016-08-03 — Last contact with Yutu rover (31 months of surface ops)

Related Missions

Chang'e 4 (2019) · China
Chang'e 5 (2020) · China

Historical & Technical Sources

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