Chang'e 4

The Chang’e 4 (嫦娥四号, “Moon goddess”) lander and Yutu-2 (玉兔二号, “Jade Rabbit”) rover are studying the geophysics of the Moon and carried with them a sealed container of the very first seeds to sprout on the Moon. Chang’e 4 was also the first space probe to softly land on the far side of the Moon. The lander and rover regularly communicate with Earth through talking to the Queqiao (鹊桥) space probe. Chang’e 4’s main objectives are to inspect lunar rocks and soil, conduct radio astronomy, and study the Sun and cosmic rays. Chang’e 4’s sealed biological experiment contained a variety of plant seeds, yeast, and fruit fly eggs to test whether they could survive on the Moon. Photographic evidence showed the cottonseed successfully sprouted, but the experiment was terminated after nine days when it was no longer able to keep the container warm.