A few days ago, the Chinese rover Yutu 2 spotted an intriguing object on the far side of the Moon. The interest is such that the mission managers plan to approach it to try to identify it. However, you will have to be a little patient.
The lander and its Yutu 2 rover are still positioned in the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Last November, on the 36th lunar day of its mission, the vehicle came across a mysterious cube-shaped object looming on the horizon as it made its way through the crater.
While this is likely rock excavated by an impact event, the mission team scientists obviously expressed a keen interest in the structure, so much so that she plans to take a "small" detour to get closer. But how soon could the rover reach its new target?
The rover flight crew estimates that the object is about 80 meters away. It might seem close, but planning such an itinerary is really not easy for several reasons.
Despite a "top speed" of up to 200 meters per hour, Yutu 2 has so far only covered around 900 meters since landing in January 2019. Why so? little ? Because the rover is not active most of the time.
Indeed, the solar-powered vehicle cannot operate during lunar nights (which last 14.5 Earth days), nor for a period of approximately 24 hours. after sunrise and before sunset. Finally, Yutu 2 also stays still during lunar noon, when temperatures can soar above 120°C, which can threaten electronics.
But that's not all. Remember that to plan a route, the ground team must first draw up a topographic map showing the various obstacles to overcome according to the images taken by the rover. Researchers then plot a route based on this data. On average, Yutu 2 can only travel a maximum of about eight to ten meters per trip, and it will have to avoid many craters that could trap it before it reaches its target.
In addition, the rover also carries science payloads, including panoramic cameras, a near-infrared imaging spectrometer, and ground-penetrating radar. It will therefore stop frequently to collect data on the way.
Finally, by definition, the dark side of the Moon never faces the Earth. Also, the presence of a relay satellite for communications is always necessary, which is another potential factor limiting the speed of Yutu 2.
With all this data to consider, the researchers estimate that the rover could reach its target within the next three to five Earth months.
