BEIJING — The Jade Rabbit did not go quietly into that long lunar night. Instead, China’s troubled robotic moon rover — given voice by a government news agency — pondered the meaning of its perhaps-fleeting existence, measured its contribution to humanity and, finally, said goodbye.
Then it shut down for the lunar night, which lasts about 14 Earth days — its status unclear.
The Jade Rabbit’s fans in China sent Lunar New Year greetings to the robot Friday, wishing it a speedy recovery from a malfunction it reported before going into hibernation.
The official Xinhua News Agency had carried what it described as a diary entry the rover “wrote” before it shut down.
“If this journey must come to an early end, I am not afraid,” said the six-wheeled, solar-powered rover. “Whether or not the repairs are successful, I believe even my malfunctions will provide my masters with valuable information and experience.”
