China's Yutu lunar rover has successfully landed on the moon. It touched down on 9PM Saturday night Beijing Time. This is the first successful landing on the moon since 1976.

The Chang'e-3 landing craft carried the rover to the smooth Bay of Rainbows region of the moon after a voyage launched December 1st. Named Yutu (Jade Rabbit in English), it is a 260lb six wheeled solar powered explorer with a top speed of 660 feet per hour. The rover will conduct tests on the lunar surface and set up a telescope to study earth's plasmasphere.

The next mission is to bring back rock and soil samples from the moon before 2020. What can China not do these days? [The New York Times]