Chinese Lunar Probe, Chang’e-4, Goes Standby Mode For The Second Lunar Night on The Dark Side of The Moon

The most ambitious space project of the Chinese space agency, so far, the Chang’e-4 mission to the dark side of the Moon, goes standby mode into preparation for the second lunar night which might lower the temperatures to minus 190 degrees Celsius.

“If you are in a part of the Moon where it is getting dark, you will notice that a lunar night has a duration of 14 terrestrial days, meaning that that part of the Moon would be kept in darkness for two weeks,” as said the scientist at the Caribbean Astronomy Society, the last time when hang’e-4 had to shut down during its first lunar night.

“In other news, so far, “the Yutu-2 rover [of the Chang’e-4 lunar probe] has accumulated 120 meters of driving on the lunar surface, surpassing the 114 meters of roving managed by the 2013 Chang’e-3 mission rover Yutu (also dubbed as ‘Jade Rabbit’) before it became immobilized in its second lunar daytime,” Space News reported.

Chang’e-4, Chinese Lunar Probe on The Dark Side of The Moon, Goes Standby Mode For The Second Lunar Night

During lunar nights on the dark side of the Moon, temperatures drop as low as minus 190 degrees Celsius, as the Chang’e-4 lunar probe revealed during its first night on the far side of the Moon. That low temperatures might destroy the electrical circuit of the lander and its Yutu-2 lunar rover, in case they don’t enter standby mode.

The Yutu-2 Moon rover and Chang’e-4 lander would resume their science and exploration missions on February 28th and March 1st, respectively, according to the Chinese space agency release, with the rover needing to unfold solar panels and dissipate heat.

“The previous lunar night saw the Chang’e-4 lander record a temperature low of -190 degrees Celsius (-310 Fahrenheit), with measurements made possible by a Russian-developed radioisotope thermoelectric generator which also acts as a prototype for future deep-space exploration,” added Space News.