China's Chang'e-4 probe awakened for 23th lunar day

The lander and the rover of China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe resumed work for the 23th lunar day, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration.

The lander was activated at 11:56 a.m. on Sunday (Oct. 11) after Yutu-2, the rover, awakened at 6:57 p.m. on Saturday. The pair have survived for 647 Earth days on the far side of the Moon.

During this lunar-day period, equivalent to 14 Earth days, the rover will travel northwest towards the basalt-distributed area or impact craters with high reflectivity.

It will use an infrared imaging spectrometer to conduct spectral analysis on a rock about 30 centimeters in diameter on the way.

The scientific payloads carried by the rover include a panoramic camera, an infrared imaging spectrometer, a neutral atomic detector and a lunar radar.

(Source: CGTN)