Getting into space is really difficult, and probably doubly so when you try to launch something from one rock and have it land on another piece of rock very far away. We are told many things can go wrong, and unfortunately this seems to be the fate of China’s moon rover.
Nicknamed the Jade Rabbit, the rover is, according to China’s official press agency, suffering from a “mechanical control abnormality” caused by the “complicated lunar surface environment” which has put its mission on hold while scientists are exploring options for repairing the rover.
The rover landed successfully in December last year (though the landing video seems to have experienced some technical difficulties of its own) and, mechanical difficulties aside, was scheduled to operate for three months.
Source: CNET