'Goodnight, Earth', the Rover That Said Goodbye
When China's first Moon rover broke down, it seemed to say goodbye: 'Goodnight, Earth. Goodnight, humanity.' Then, weeks later, it spoke again.
What was reported
In December 2013, China's Chang'e 3 mission landed on the Moon and released a small rover called Yutu, the Jade Rabbit, after the rabbit of Chinese legend who lives on the Moon with the goddess Chang'e. In January 2014, as the long lunar night approached, the rover developed a serious fault.
A first-person message written in the rover's voice was posted online by Chinese media: 'Goodnight, Earth. Goodnight, humanity.' People around the world were moved. In February, after the night ended, the rover 'woke up', and a new post said: 'Hi, is anybody there?'
Explanations offered
The messages were written by people at the mission, not by the rover itself, as a way to share its story. Yutu never moved again but continued sending data for months. Its successor, Yutu-2, became the first rover on the far side of the Moon in 2019.
- When
- January–February 2014
- Where
- Mare Imbrium, on the Moon
- Witnesses
- Millions of people following online
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.