The Chang'e-3 probe and its moon rover, which soft landed on the surface on Saturday night, separated before taking photos of each other on Sunday, marking a "complete success" for the mission, according to China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The moon rover, Yutu (玉兔, Jade Rabbit), will start a three month research mission, examining the moon's soil construction, landform, and material composition.
The successful Chang'e-3 landing lays the scene for the next stage of China's lunar program, which will involve bringing samples back to Earth for closer analysis. China plans to send astronauts to the moon's surface within the next decade.
Jiao Weixin, a professor at Beijing University's School of Earth and Space Sciences, poured cold water on the much vaunted economic potential of the moon, saying that while China's moon research did include examining for mineable resources such as plutonium and helium-3 "it is still unrealistic for any country to profit from the moon's resources in the near future considering the technology and cost."
[Images via CNSA]
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