China's lunar rover got back to work on the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-lands-probe-on-far-side-of-moon-report-187974"> far side of the Moon</a> Thursday after waking from a five-day hibernation, its official social media page announced.

"Afternoon nap is over, waking up and getting moving," the Yutu-2 (Jade Rabbit-2) posted on the Twitter-like Weibo.

The rover on Saturday<a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/china-lands-on-the-far-side-of-moon-here-is-the-science-behind-the-mission-188214"> went into standby mode to protect</a> itself from temperatures reaching towards 200 degrees Celsius, the China Lunar Exploration Program under the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

The 140-kilogram (308-pound) rover has since resumed activities, which will include taking a picture of the front side of the lander and exploration missions.

The Chang'e-4 mission - named after a moon goddess - made the world's first soft landing on the Moon's far side on January 3rd.

The rover, named after the moon goddess's pet rabbit, successfully separated from the lander and drove onto the Moon's surface last Thursday.

Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022, and of eventually sending humans on a lunar mission.

This is the second Chinese probe to land on the Moon, following the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover mission in 2013.

China's space agency has said the mission "lifted the mysterious veil" from the far side of the Moon, which is never seen from Earth, and "opened a new chapter in human lunar exploration".

Unlike the near side of the moon that offers many flat areas to touch down on, the far side is mountainous and rugged.

The Moon is "tidally locked" to Earth in its rotation so the same side is always facing Earth.

The Chang'e-4 probe is equipped with instruments developed by scientists from Sweden, Germany and China to study the lunar environment, cosmic radiation and the interaction between solar wind and the Moon's surface, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Chang'e-4 landed within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, the largest and deepest impact crater in the solar system.

Scientists have said it is a key area for solving several unknowns about the moon, including its internal structure and thermal evolution.

China's lunar rover got back to work on the far side of the Moon Thursday after waking from a five-day hibernation, its official social media page announced. "Afternoon nap is over, waking up and getting moving," the Yutu-2 (Jade Rabbit-2) posted on the Twitter-like Weibo.

China's lunar rover got back to work on the far side of the Moon Thursday after waking from a five-day hibernation, its official social media page announced. "Afternoon nap is over, waking up and getting moving," the Yutu-2 (Jade Rabbit-2) posted on the Twitter-like Weibo. The rover on Saturday went into standby mode to protect itself from temperatures reaching towards 200 degrees Celsius, the China Lunar Exploration Program under the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said. The 140-kilogram (308-pound) rover has since resumed activities, which will include taking a picture of the front side of the lander and exploration missions. The Chang'e-4 mission - named after a moon goddess - made the world's first soft landing on the Moon's far side on January 3rd. The rover, named after the moon goddess's pet rabbit, successfully separated from the lander and drove onto the Moon's surface last Thursday. Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022, and of eventually sending humans on a lunar mission. This is the second Chinese probe to land on the Moon, following the Yutu (Jade Rabbit) rover mission in 2013. China's space agency has said the mission "lifted the mysterious veil" from the far side of the Moon, which is never seen from Earth, and "opened a new chapter in human lunar exploration". Unlike the near side of the moon that offers many flat areas to touch down on, the far side is mountainous and rugged. The Moon is "tidally locked" to Earth in its rotation so the same side is always facing Earth. The Chang'e-4 probe is equipped with instruments developed by scientists from Sweden, Germany and China to study the lunar environment, cosmic radiation and the interaction between solar wind and the Moon's surface, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Chang'e-4 landed within the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, the largest and deepest impact crater in the solar system. Scientists have said it is a key area for solving several unknowns about the moon, including its internal structure and thermal evolution.

Watch: China's lunar rover Chang'e-4 begins work, shows Moon landscape

Chang'e-4 probe takes panoramic photos on moon's far side

China's Chang'e-4 lunar rover releases new pictures from Moon

A Chinese space probe successfully touched down on the far side of the moon on Thursday, state media said, hailing it as a historic first landing there on a mission seen as an important step for China's space programme.

Chinese state television said the Chang'e-4 lunar probe, launched in December, made the "soft landing" at 0226 GMT and transmitted the first-ever "close range" image of the dark side of the moon.

The moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating at the same rate that it orbits our planet, so the far side - or the "dark side" - is never visible from Earth. Previous spacecraft have seen the far side of the moon but none has landed on it.

The landing "lifted the mysterious veil" from the far side of the moon and "opened a new chapter in human lunar exploration", the broadcaster said.

The probe, which includes a lander and a rover, touched down at a preselected landing area, the official Xinhua news agency said, after it had entered the moon's orbit in mid-December.

Xinhua posted a wide-angle colour picture of a crater from the moon's surface to its official microblog.

The tasks of the Chang'e-4 include astronomical observation, surveying the moon's terrain, landform and mineral composition, and measuring the neutron radiation and neutral atoms to study the environment on the far side of the moon, the China National Space Administration has said.

China aims to catch up with Russia and the United States to become a major space power by 2030. It is planning to launch construction of its own manned space station next year.

However, while China has insisted its ambitions are purely peaceful, the U.S. Defense Department has accused it of pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations from using space-based assets during a crisis.

Apart from its civilian ambitions, Beijing has tested anti-satellite missiles and the U.S. Congress has banned NASA from bilateral cooperation with its Chinese counterpart due to security concerns.

The United States is so far the only country to have landed humans on the moon. U.S. President Donald Trump said in 2017 he wants to return astronauts to the lunar surface and establish a foundation there for an eventual mission to Mars.

China said in 2017 it was making preparations to send a person to the moon.

In 2003, it became the third country to put a man in space with its own rocket after the former Soviet Union and the United States, and in 2013 completed its first lunar "soft landing".

Chinese state television said the Chang'e-4 lunar probe, launched in December, made the "soft landing" at 0226 GMT and transmitted the first-ever "close range" image of the dark side of the moon.

A Chinese space probe successfully touched down on the far side of the moon on Thursday, state media said, hailing it as a historic first landing there on a mission seen as an important step for China's space programme. Chinese state television said the Chang'e-4 lunar probe, launched in December, made the "soft landing" at 0226 GMT and transmitted the first-ever "close range" image of the dark side of the moon. The moon is tidally locked to Earth, rotating at the same rate that it orbits our planet, so the far side - or the "dark side" - is never visible from Earth. Previous spacecraft have seen the far side of the moon but none has landed on it. The landing "lifted the mysterious veil" from the far side of the moon and "opened a new chapter in human lunar exploration", the broadcaster said. The probe, which includes a lander and a rover, touched down at a preselected landing area, the official Xinhua news agency said, after it had entered the moon's orbit in mid-December. Xinhua posted a wide-angle colour picture of a crater from the moon's surface to its official microblog. The tasks of the Chang'e-4 include astronomical observation, surveying the moon's terrain, landform and mineral composition, and measuring the neutron radiation and neutral atoms to study the environment on the far side of the moon, the China National Space Administration has said. China aims to catch up with Russia and the United States to become a major space power by 2030. It is planning to launch construction of its own manned space station next year. However, while China has insisted its ambitions are purely peaceful, the U.S. Defense Department has accused it of pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations from using space-based assets during a crisis. Apart from its civilian ambitions, Beijing has tested anti-satellite missiles and the U.S. Congress has banned NASA from bilateral cooperation with its Chinese counterpart due to security concerns. The United States is so far the only country to have landed humans on the moon. U.S. President Donald Trump said in 2017 he wants to return astronauts to the lunar surface and establish a foundation there for an eventual mission to Mars. China said in 2017 it was making preparations to send a person to the moon. In 2003, it became the third country to put a man in space with its own rocket after the former Soviet Union and the United States, and in 2013 completed its first lunar "soft landing".

Watch: China 'lifts mysterious veil' by landing Chang'e-4 probe on dark side of the moon

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Watch: China's lunar rover Chang'e-4 begins work, shows Moon landscape

Chang'e-4 probe takes panoramic photos on moon's far side

China's Chang'e-4 lunar rover releases new pictures from Moon

Watch: China 'lifts mysterious veil' by landing Chang'e-4 probe on dark side of the moon