At the beginning of December, the Chinese rover Yutu 2 saw on the horizon of the Moon a strange cubic formation that caught the attention of half the world. After a titanic effort to get closer, the mission controllers discovered that it was indeed a rock.
Formerly known as “神秘 小屋” (the mysterious hut), the small rock has been renamed “玉兔” (jade rabbit), in honor of the rabbit that lives on the Moon according to Chinese mythology. I don’t know if it’s shaped like a rabbit, but it’s definitely smaller than it looked.
The rock, perhaps of basaltic origin, is located on the edge of a crater, so it stands out on the horizon. The Moon’s local horizon is much closer than Earth’s, and its lack of an atmosphere makes objects appear much sharper. To top it off, the resolution of the enlarged image was not the best.
Seen up close, there is no doubt: it is a rock, and not an alien construction. These types of rocks that protrude from the landscape are relatively common and are usually the result of meteorite impacts that make them protrude or launch them elsewhere. But people wanted to believe …
The mystery was exacerbated by the fact that Yutu 2 might not immediately approach the rock. The rover has to take frequent pauses during its exploration of the lunar surface. During the day it needs a break to avoid overheating in the hours in which the Sun hits it directly. During the lunar night, which lasts two weeks, it needs to be switched off to conserve the energy of its solar panels until the sun rises once more. Not to mention that the vehicle moves through difficult terrain in which it must circulate slowly to avoid any damage. mishap that ruins the mission.
Up-close photos of the mysterious object were not expected for two months, but the Chinese space agency (CNSA) “racked its brains” to arrive faster than promised. After a Exhaustive analysis Of energy, thermal control, movement performance and ground conditions, the mission controllers devised a set of efficient movement strategies to reach the rock.
Yutu 2 became in January 2019 the first robot in perch on the far side of the Moon. Two years later he has traveled 1003.9 meters. Nothing better to celebrate your first kilometer than solving a mystery of global scope.
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