It is the first "soft landing" of a probe there for 37 years and China is only the third country to complete such a feat after the US and former Soviet Union.
Beijing has now taken a big step towards becoming a global player in space.
Scientists burst into applause as a computer-generated image representing the Chang'e 3 spacecraft carrying the solar-powered buggy was seen touching down on the Moon's surface via screens in Beijing.
The craft's camera broadcast images of the surface before it reportedly came down in the Sinus Iridum, or the Bay of Rainbows.
It had hovered for several minutes seeking an appropriate place to land.
A soft landing does not damage the craft and the equipment it takes.
In 2007, China put another lunar probe in orbit around the Moon, which then carried out a controlled crash on to its surface.
The rover is expected to separate from the lander and then carry out a three-month scientific exploration of the surface, in which it will look for natural resources.
The vehicle will be remotely controlled by Chinese control centres with support from tracking and transmission stations operated by the European Space Agency.
It was launched into space onboard a rocket on December 1 from southern China.
The name Jade Rabbit or "Yutu" was chosen in an online poll of 3.4 million voters indicating just how important this mission is to the Chinese public.
It is the next step in China's ambitious plans to land astronauts on the surface by around 2025.
As well as space enthusiasts, many private space companies were expected to watch the landing closely.
Teams taking part in the Google Lunar XPRIZE are competing for $30m (?18m) to become the first private organisation to send pictures back from the Moon by 2015.
Alexandra Hall, director of Lunar XPRIZE, told Sky News: "The space community is a truly global endeavour and although there are politics involved, there are many engineers and scientists around the world feeling for those guys and girls in mission control in China right now.
"It is actually quite difficult to land successfully on another planetary body so I think there is definitely a sympathy with the tension that is probably quite high in that control room."
:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.
This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
No comments:
Post a Comment