Join Donate

The Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Video of Chang'e 3's descent and landing on the Moon

Please accept marketing-cookies to watch this video.

CNSA / CCTV

Video of Chang'e 3's descent and landing on the Moon
This version of the video has been flipped 180 degrees to put sky above ground. The mountains on the horizon are the Montes Recti. The lander is decelerating at an angle until about 2:50 when it can be seen to rotate vertical. This was at an altitude of about 2000 meters. It then lowered to an altitude of 100 meters, where it came to a hovering standstill (at about 5:15). It used imaging and laser ranging to determine a safe place for the landing, then continued the descent. At an altitude of about 4 meters, it cut the engines and fell to the surface.

Here is a version of the video in its original orientation.

Original image data dated on or about December 14, 2013

Explore related images: pics of spacecraft in space, pretty pictures, Chang'E program, the Moon, spacecraft, Chang'e 3, animation

You are here:
Comments & Sharing
More Images
astronaut on Phobos
Let's Change the World

Become a member of The Planetary Society and together we will create the future of space exploration.

Join Today

Bruce Murray and Carl Sagan
Pretty Pictures

Support the Bruce Murray Space Image Library and help us share the wonders of other worlds.

Donate