Sinus Iridum (Chang'e 3 Site)

What Happened Here?

Landing site of Chang'e 3, December 14, 2013. First Chinese lunar landing and first soft landing on Moon since 1976.

Region Overview

One of the largest lunar mare. Landing sites include Luna 17/Lunokhod 1 and Chang'e 3.

Missions Associated with this Site

• Chang'e 3 (2013) · China LANDED
  Confirmed landing. First Chinese lunar soft landing; first soft landing on Moon since 1976

Historical Timeline

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

Site Imagery & Gallery

Scientific References & Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e_3
• https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2013-070A

Explore Sinus Iridum (Chang'e 3 Site) in 3D

Interactive 3D Moon atlas with terrain model, spacecraft markers, and historical site stories.