back to article IT'S ALIVE! China's Jade Rabbit rover RETURNS from the DEAD

It appears that China's Jade Rabbit lunar explorer is not as dead as it looked, as Chinese officials say that the moon rover has managed to awaken from its slumber. China initially reported that the country's first lunar rover, Yutu, or the Jade Rabbit, couldn't be restored after it experienced a "mechanical abnormality" right …

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  1. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
    Pint

    Good news

    Looking forward to this rabbit's further progress.

    I'll raise a glass to its success

    1. Simon Harris
      Coat

      Re: Good news

      Good news, but I hope the Jade Rabbit's not just...

      living on burrowed time

      1. Infidellic_
        Joke

        Re: Good news

        Well I think it's clear that it was a hare's breadth from being done for, I mean you can't just hop over to it to fix it. I bet the engineers found themselves in a right stew

      2. Scott Broukell
        Thumb Up

        Re: Good news

        It will certainly have given them some paws for thought.

        (Mines the little fur-lined number)

        1. Charles Manning

          Rabbits' feet

          A rabbit's foot is supposed to bring good luck.

          The rabbit it came from had four and that didn't do it any good.

        2. cortland

          Re: Good news

          It's ears are working, anyway.

      3. Wzrd1 Silver badge

        Re: Good news

        Or worse, stuck between a rock and a hard place.

        Best of luck restoring the rover to function, PRC!

    2. Ralph B

      Re: Good news

      Can someone please clarify whether this Rabbit is powered by either Duracell or Energizer?

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Hmm

      Probably built with cheap non original equipment.

      'EvewWeddy or Duwacell batteries anyone?'

    4. LarsG

      Re: Good news

      Yes but who did they steal the technology from?

  2. Gabor Laszlo
    Trollface

    "Did you try turning it off and on again?"

    1. Ragarath

      Isn't that what caused the problem in the first place?

  3. hplasm
    Linux

    Now That's what you get-

    When you run (Red Flag) Linux!

    1. hplasm
      Happy

      Re: Now That's what you get-

      Oh, please yourselves...

  4. Anonymous Custard
    Joke

    Yikes!

    Yikes! A zombie robot bunny! On the moon! Someone call the Daily Sport, quick!

    And mechanical abnormality? Pah, it's just a flesh, I mean chassis, wound...

  5. Vladimir Plouzhnikov

    "mechanical control abnormality"

    Meaning: the wheels fell off.

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Re: "mechanical control abnormality"

      It may have had a dust up with the rogue cooker that patrols the moon…

    2. Beachrider

      An OZ blogger...

      There was an Australian blogger that mused on this problem. He advised that it was likely the folding solar panels that didn't retract before the 14-day deep-freeze. China's space program folks are trying to find out what-kind-if-any damage was caused by this deep-freeze. These 14-day cold-waves have been problems for ALL landers/rovers on the Moon. The Russians put Polonium inside their rovers and folded-down the solar panel to create a warm-area on the Lunokhods.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: An OZ blogger...

        "He advised that it was likely the folding solar panels that didn't retract before the 14-day deep-freeze."

        Moon frost is a right blighter. Should have sent a bloke to scrape it off.

        1. Gordon 10

          Re: An OZ blogger...

          Naaa - subcontract it to a clanger.

      2. cray74

        Re: An OZ blogger...

        The Chinese used plutonium heaters in Jade Rabbit, "according to some sources."

        http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-25384057

  6. Crisp

    Still Alive

    And doing Science!

    1. mahasamatman

      Re: Still Alive

      But there's no sense crying over every mistake.

      You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.

    2. Xofer
      Thumb Up

      Re: Still Alive

      It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.

      1. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge

        Re: Still Alive

        Look at me still talking

        when there's science to do.

        When I look out there,

        it makes me GLaD I'm not you.

  7. Pete 2 Silver badge

    Standard Ts & Cs

    > it's still troubled by that pesky "mechanical control abnormality"

    I'm sure that if the chinese pay the postage, the suppliers will replace it for free.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Standard Ts & Cs

      "I'm sure that if the chinese pay the postage, the suppliers will replace it for free."

      IME you have to slag 'em off with a bad Amazon review before they'll even offer you that.

  8. Winkypop Silver badge
    Coat

    Should have sent up two rabbits

    Then there would be a heap of them to carry on the science.

  9. Alister

    "It's not dead, it's just resting..."

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Call for Dr. Zitbag

    We've located Zombunny...

  11. Andy The Hat Silver badge

    It became a dead rabbit? This assumes it was alive to start with ... Was it artificial life or really alive? That's a silly question, they wouldn't send real bunnies as they taste too nice so it must have been artificial life ... THE CHINESE HAVE DEVELOPED ARTIFICIAL LIFEFORMS - RUN FOR THE HILLS!

    But why are the Chinese then sending lagomorphic lifeforms to the moon? Is it that they've run rampant over their fields and are sucking their rivers dry, immune to all that the Chinese artificial-lagomorph exterminator squad could throw at them? Perhaps the cunning Chinese sought to kill the pesky hares by sending them to the moon!

    Aha! Dead as the proverbial (but tasty) roast dinner.

    But no!

    Even now they survive the ravages of the lunar surface ... they're out to get us ... it's only a matter of time before the chino-bunny finds a lunar lander and, to the theme of the A-Team, builds a rocket ship to return himself to the Earth... Beware The War of the Wabbits and narration by Richard Burton! Pom pom pom ... ta de dah, ta de dah ...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      So what you're saying is... we should watch out for the Rampant Rabbits?

    2. cortland

      Not dead, merely... jaded.

  12. G Mac
    Trollface

    Wait, no Monty Python reference?

    After yesterday's Parrot Sketch reference, you didn't take this prime chance for a Holy Grail reference:

    "I'm not dead yet!"

    Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

  13. breakfast Silver badge
    Paris Hilton

    Mechanical abnormal vibrations?

    This rabbit isn't just alive- it's rampant!

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    Coincidentally, this is kind of following the plot of "Rabbit, Run"

    OK, overwrought literary reference there...but first the probe is gone, and now its back.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Coincidentally, this is kind of following the plot of "Rabbit, Run"

      Schrödinger's rabbit?

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It is...

    It is an ex ex-parrot...

  16. Don Jefe

    Their Own Fault - Serves Them Right

    I realize that learning a new system of weights and measures is difficult. It wasn't that long ago when I was at ORNL and it was still ~50/50 Standard v Metric. Even machines in an ordered process would go back and forth between machines in the same process. It was difficult. A lot of errors were made.

    But the fucking aliens ought to have a better handle on that shit. I mean, Come on guys. Christ. It shouldn't take an alien intelligence to know the (mostly) Standard tools left by the Apollo missions aren't fitting the Metric fasteners the Chinese use. This is grammar school shit kids. If the socket slips when you apply pressure you've got the wrong fucking size. Stop. If you don.... God damnit. Look what you've done now slackass. You've rounded off that bolt and you're screwed (ha!) now aren't ya?

    Do you know how hard it is to remove a broken bolt from Chinese equipment? On a good day they've managed to bend physics and get a 15mm bolt through a 3mm hole that's 90 degrees out from the face plane. That's on their skillets and this is a 'space thing', it'll be even worse.

    That's right little grey smarty pants. You get in there with your bolt extractor. Oh, that broke too? Do you know what's harder than a bolt extractor that's broken off inside a hole? That's right, nothing. There's not a god damn thing in the universe harder than a broken bolt extractor. So good fucking luck.

    Hey! Is this why you've never invaded us? You broke your spaceships didn't you? Man, that's got to suck. I'm glad you're not dead and all, but being suck up here for a few more years will be good for you. I'm a huge fan of letting people (and aliens) work themselves out of the jams they get it it they aren't in any danger. You look healthy enough to me, so fuck off. Maybe this will teach you not to outsource your techs in the future. I'm going home now. Everything I own is British standard, to prevent tampering, so I really can't do much anyway. But remember for next time. I'll have billing send you an invoice for 1.5 hrs customer education time. Cash only.

    1. Will Godfrey Silver badge
      WTF?

      Re: Their Own Fault - Serves Them Right

      I think you need a little lie down.

      P.S.

      Why are the Chinese being so coy about exactly what the 'mechanical abnormality' is?

    2. Someone Else Silver badge
      Coffee/keyboard

      Re: Their Own Fault - Serves Them Right

      If the socket slips when you apply pressure you've got the wrong fucking size. Stop. If you don.... God damnit. Look what you've done now slackass. You've rounded off that bolt and you're screwed (ha!) now aren't ya?

      I certainly enjoyed that li'l tidbit more that my keyboard did...

      1. cortland

        Re: Their Own Fault - Serves Them Right

        Two words: Vice Grips.

        That'll finish the job!

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Shoulda taken that left turn

    at Albuquerque.

  18. NP-HARD
    Happy

    Dropped a Clanger lander

    ...Jade Rabbit rescued by Soup Dragon.

  19. Captain Obvious
    Joke

    Well maybe.....

    it multiplied like rabbits :)

  20. Someone Else Silver badge
    Coat

    Now lemme get this straight...

    The rabbit didn't die...so I'm not pregnant?

  21. MD Rackham

    I just want to thank the writer for clarifying that Yutu's owner Change'e is a *mythological* Moon goddess.

    Don't want to get her confused with any of the real ones.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      > Don't want to get her confused with any of the real ones.

      Like the one I met (briefly, just the time for her to ignore me) at the club last weekend.

      1. ravenviz Silver badge

        One of you was a geek!

  22. Chris G

    Run away!

    The Chinese with their penchant for plagiarism have probably imbued this wabbit with some of the capabilities of the Rabbit of Caerbannog a very strong and dangerous beast requiring special weapons to defeat it.

  23. MatsSvensson

    Its all falling apart, like a Chinese mars rover.

  24. Stevie

    Bah!

    Yes, only hours before this unworthy team was to have been taken to a nearby organ depatriation facility in order to atone for our incompetence it seems our glorious moonrover is alive.

    Unfortunately it can't send back any pictures but you can clearly hear its telemetry beep, which just happens to sound like a Kasio digital watch alarm coming from inside that unit with a "Heathcit" label on it.

  25. Julian Garrett

    Who did they steal the electricity from?

  26. Rick Giles
    Black Helicopters

    Good

    Now they can roll it over to the Apolo landing sites and shut up all those conspiracy nutters.

  27. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge
    Facepalm

    Post climax slumber

    it was just resting

  28. JustWondering
    Happy

    It's alive!

    Get those engineers back from "motivational therapy".

  29. Wanderingone56ish

    Small oversight

    "The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said at the time that the rover was having trouble because of the "complicated lunar surface environment"."

    No roads and no charging stations then?

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's

    An awful long way to go for a wank or I have I got hold of the wrong end of the, er, chopstick?

  31. Mikel

    Good job

    Hang in there brave robot

  32. DanceMan
    Alien

    "out of the woods"

    There are woods on the moon?

    "The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said at the time that the rover was having trouble because of the "complicated lunar surface environment"."

    Well, there's your problem.

  33. VulcanV5

    Lose face never lose rabbit OK

    Not that El Reg is gullible in any way, but it's SOP for the Chinese Government to cover up any perceived "failing" with a blanket of obfuscation. The Rabbit's dead, of course it is, but the big mistake was to tell people about it -- same with Bird Flu, lethal, of course, but the big mistake was ever to let on that it was on the loose in China.

    Reality is, China is run by a Communist elite which never does anything wrong and oversees a country where nothing ever goes wrong. That's especially true of its moon program. So-oo. . . The Rabbit is dead but to save face, is said now to be alive again. Then it'll be dead again. Then alive again (if anyone asks). Then dead again -- and so on and so forth until nobody asks any questions anymore, and China can announce that its moon missioin has ended on schedule and been a complete success.

    1. BristolBachelor Gold badge
      Coat

      Re: Lose face never lose rabbit OK

      The original report I saw came from SAST and said that they would not be able to return the rabbit to 100% functionality. I assumed that this meant that they still couldn't open/close the solar panels properly, maybe something suffered from the cold, and maybe there was less power available.

      When I saw lots of headlines reporting it dead, I wondered if it was pessimism or exageration (my own body doesn't work 100% but that doesn't class me as dead!). In the end, I think that each site picked up the story from another site, changing the words a bit along the way, and it went from <100% eventually to =0%. Could you call it Chinese whispers? (ok, I'll get me coat.)

    2. DanceMan

      Re: Lose face never lose rabbit OK

      No China expert here, but I recall reading that the Chinese leadership has been admitting mistakes recently, unlike their previous behaviour. Still no freedom of expression for the masses though.

  34. Pastafarian

    Enough!

    Of the cheesey jokes. (and sorry for this one)

    Anyway the batteries were probably edam (made) in China

  35. magpie67

    The Goodies did it first

    I am surprised no-one has mentioned "Big Bunny" from The Goodies episode Invasion of the Moon Creatures

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_the_Moon_Creatures

  36. Medical Cynic

    I reckon they just closed the windows, then re-opened them.

  37. Arachnoid

    So your saying its got an erection problem?

    Strange for a country so over populated.........or I wonder if Fox News caught it out in the open?

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    http://www.spike.com/video-clips/jw3cjp/whats-opera-doc-kill-tha-wabbit...

    What more needs be said?

  39. aqk
    IT Angle

    Not just China anymore...!

    In the meantime, I understand that Israel will also be launching a lunar rover.

    Designed to investigate the possibilities of setting up new settlements in unoccupied territories on the moon, it will be called the Jade Rabbi.

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