Curiosity
China’s Lunar Rover Mysteriously Goes Back Online
China’s Lunar Rover Mysteriously Goes Back Online
“Yutu has come back to life,” Pei Zhaoyu, a spokesman for China’s lunar exploration programme, told state media.
The rover’s “normal signal reception function” was restored and scientists were working to identify the cause of a mechanical problem reported on January 25, when the Jade Rabbit entered its “sleep” mode for the freezing lunar night, the official Xinhua news agency quoted Mr. Pei as saying.
“Yutu went into sleep [mode] under an abnormal status,” Mr. Pei said.
“The rover stands a chance of being saved now that it is still alive.” Space officials said earlier that the unspecified problem with the solar-powered rover was due to a “complicated lunar surface environment,” but they gave no further explanations.
Now, scientists are not taking the good fortune for granted and are attempting to discover what caused the remote controlled vehicle to lose signal strength.
Yutu has been dormant since January 25 as night fell on the area the rover is exploring. Some speculate that the unit was not designed sufficiently well to endure the cold which prompted the device going into a sleep mode. It was the second time the unit had gone into a technically induced slumber. However, it is not clear if the sleep mode is a built-in design or an operational flaw.
Regardless, news of Yutu’s reemergence was warmly greeted by the general public who have come to view the rover with affection. Once well-wisher opined that perhaps Yutu came back online because it had a hankering for traditional rice dumplings which are a treat eaten during the upcoming Lantern Festival. Experts associated with the project still maintain concerns continued exposure to extreme cold will once again take the unit offline.
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China’s lunar rover comes back to life
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2014-02/13/content_17280622.htm