China's Chang'e 4 probe resumes work for 15th lunar day

BEIJING -- The lander and rover of the Chang'e 4 probe have resumed work for the 15th lunar day on the far side of the moon after "sleeping" during the extremely cold night.

The lander woke up at 6:57 am Tuesday (Beijing time), and the rover awoke at 5:55 pm Monday. Both are in normal working order, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration.

The rover, Yutu 2 or Jade Rabbit 2, has traveled 367.25 meters on the far side of the moon, with a plan to drive northwest and then southwest to continue its scientific exploration.

The Chang'e 4 probe, launched on Dec 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft landing on the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon on Jan 3, 2019.