Chang'e 4

Chang'e 4 achieved humanity's first soft landing on the far side of the Moon in the Von Kármán crater within the South Pole-Aitken Basin. The Yutu-2 rover continues to operate and has broken the record for farthest-travelled lunar rover.

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Agency / Country

China National Space Administration (CNSA) (China)

Mission Status

LANDED

Launch / Target Year

2019

Spacecraft / Type

Chang'e 4 lander + Yutu-2 rover

Landing Site Zone

Von Kármán Crater (South Pole-Aitken Basin, Far Side)

Surface Coordinates

Lat -45.44°, Lon 177.59°

Mission Imagery & Gallery

Chang'e 4 photograph 1: CNSA — Chang'e 4 lander on the far side of the Moon in Von Kármán crater, January 2019. First ever far-side landing. (CNSA, public domain) — CNSA — Chang'e 4 lander on the far side of the Moon in Von Kármán crater, January 2019. First ever far-side landing. (CNSA, public domain)

Primary Achievement

First-ever soft landing on the far side of the Moon

Mission Objectives

First soft landing on the far side of the Moon
Study Von Kármán crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin
Operate Yutu-2 rover for long-distance traverse
Low-frequency radio astronomy from the far side (no Earth interference)
Test relay communication via Queqiao satellite

Timeline Events

2018-12-07 — Launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center
2019-01-03 — Lands in Von Kármán crater — first far-side lunar landing in history
2019-01-03 — Yutu-2 rover deployed; begins far-side traverses
2019-01-11 — Queqiao relay satellite enables first far-side communications
2024-01 — Yutu-2 surpasses Lunokhod 2 — longest-travelling lunar rover (>1,600 m)

Related Missions

Chang'e 3 (2013) · China
Chang'e 6 (2024) · China

Historical & Technical Sources

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