# Chang'e 3

> lunar exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration

**Wikidata**: [Q1061879](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1061879)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang'e_3)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/chang-e-3

## Summary
Chang'e 3 is a lunar exploration mission operated by the China National Space Administration that successfully landed on the Moon in December 2013. It carried the Yutu lunar rover and was part of China's Lunar Exploration Program. The mission launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 3B rocket.

## Key Facts
- Launched on December 1, 2013 at 17:30:00 from Xichang Satellite Launch Center
- Landed on the Moon on December 14, 2013 at 13:11 UTC in Mare Imbrium (LQ04 landing site)
- Mass of 1,200 kilograms
- Operated by China National Space Administration (CNSA)
- Part of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
- Named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang'e
- Followed by Chang'e 5-T1 and Chang'e 4 missions
- Preceded by Chang'e 2 mission
- Carried the Yutu lunar rover as part of the mission
- COSPAR ID: 2013-070A

## FAQs
### Q: What was the purpose of Chang'e 3?
A: Chang'e 3 was designed to demonstrate China's capability for soft lunar landing and to conduct scientific exploration on the Moon's surface. It carried instruments to study the lunar geology and environment.

### Q: Where did Chang'e 3 land on the Moon?
A: Chang'e 3 landed in Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) in the northern hemisphere of the Moon's near side, at coordinates approximately 44.1214°N latitude and 19.5117°E longitude.

### Q: How long did Chang'e 3 operate on the Moon?
A: While the exact operational duration isn't specified in the source material, Chang'e 3 successfully completed its primary mission objectives after landing in December 2013, including deploying the Yutu rover and conducting scientific measurements.

## Why It Matters
Chang'e 3 represents a significant milestone in China's space program and global lunar exploration efforts. As China's first successful soft landing on the Moon since the Soviet Luna 24 in 1976, it demonstrated China's growing technological capabilities in deep space exploration. The mission proved China could independently design, build, and operate complex interplanetary spacecraft, joining the United States and the former Soviet Union as the only nations to achieve soft lunar landings. Beyond national prestige, Chang'e 3 advanced scientific understanding of the Moon's geology and environment through its instruments and the Yutu rover's mobility. The mission also served as a crucial stepping stone for China's more ambitious lunar plans, including sample return missions and potential crewed lunar exploration. By successfully executing this complex mission, China established itself as a major spacefaring nation and contributed valuable data to the international scientific community's understanding of our celestial neighbor.

## Notable For
- First Chinese soft landing on the Moon since 1976
- Successfully deployed the Yutu lunar rover for mobile surface exploration
- Demonstrated China's independent capability for complex deep space missions
- Landed in Mare Imbrium, providing new data from an unexplored lunar region
- Part of China's systematic approach to lunar exploration through the Chang'e program

## Body
### Mission Overview
Chang'e 3 was the third mission in China's Chang'e lunar exploration program and marked a significant advancement from previous orbital missions. The spacecraft consisted of a stationary lander and the Yutu rover, designed to work together to explore the lunar surface.

### Technical Specifications
The mission had a total mass of 1,200 kilograms and was launched aboard a Long March 3B rocket (Y23 configuration). The spacecraft was designed to survive the harsh lunar environment, including extreme temperature variations and the vacuum of space.

### Launch and Landing
The mission launched on December 1, 2013, at 17:30:00 UTC from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, China. After a journey of approximately two weeks, Chang'e 3 successfully executed a soft landing on December 14, 2013, at 13:11 UTC in the Mare Imbrium region of the Moon.

### Scientific Objectives
Chang'e 3 carried multiple scientific instruments on both the lander and the Yutu rover. These instruments were designed to study the lunar surface composition, geology, and space environment. The mission's location in Mare Imbrium allowed scientists to examine a different region of the Moon compared to the Apollo landing sites.

### Program Context
As part of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, Chang'e 3 represented the second phase of China's three-step lunar exploration strategy: orbiting, landing, and returning samples. The mission's success paved the way for subsequent missions like Chang'e 5-T1 and Chang'e 4, continuing China's systematic approach to lunar exploration.

## Schema Markup
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## References

1. [Source](https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2013-070A)
2. Jonathan's Space Report
3. [Source](http://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-images-of-change-3-landing-site/)
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013