Chinese Moon Rover Takes Photos as Lunar Mission Dubbed Success

A Chinese spacecraft sent back photos of the lunar surface and the unmanned rover that it brought there, as authorities dubbed the latest step in the country’s space program a “complete success.”

The Jade Rabbit rover emerged from the Chang’e-3 yesterday and the two began taking photos hours after China became the first country since 1976, and the third ever, to land a spacecraft on the moon. Chinese state television distributed photographs taken from the Chang’e-3 that showed the rover, its two solar panels extended, after it rolled down two metal tracks onto the lunar surface.