Almost a month and a half into its lunar mission, the Chinese lunar Rover the Jade Rabbit may be nearing the end of its rope. The state-run news agency Xinhua has reported that the Jade Rabbit, or Yutu, has experienced a "mechanical control abnormality." While Chinese scientists are rushing to find a solution to the problem, the Jade Rabbit may end up as the latest statistic in a long list of failed lunar missions.
The Jade Rabbit was launched into space onboard the Chinese Chang'e 3 last Dec. 21, 2013. The mission reached the moon without any problems and the rover landed on the lunar surface last Dec. 14. The rover was tasked with a variety of missions such as conducting geological surveys and measuring lunar surface topography. However, what was meant to be a three-month mission may be cut in half due to the aforementioned mechanical problem.
Xinhua reported that the "complicated lunar surface environment" caused the problem and the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND) are still searching for solutions. Due to the often secretive nature of Chinese space missions however, no further details about the mechanical problem was given.
The mechanical problem started during the rover's second hibernation period. The first hibernation occurred earlier this month and the rover was designed to go to "sleep" during the long lunar nights with a single lunar night lasting about 2 weeks.
In terms of extra planetary rover missions, the Jade Rabbit hasn't been up there very long. Compared to long lived rover missions like the Mars rover Opportunity, which lasted for 10 years and is still going strong, one and a half months may seem short. However, if Chinese scientists manage to get the rover back up and running, it may beat out the American rover Sojourner's two month and 20 day mission on Mars.
To date, there have been 130 lunar missions but the success rate for these missions is only slightly above 50 percent. The high failure rate for these missions indicates the difficulty that space agencies have to deal with during extra planetary missions.
In mainland China, Chinese netizens have also sent out blessings and messages of good will to the rover through online sites, forums and microblogs.
