Yutu-2 route map Options

[Phil Stooke]

This is still an approximation for the 23rd day drive, but it's based on much more information. It will probably be revised quite a bit when a Chinese map appears.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

No drive diary or other information yet so I still have nothing but a distance with which to update my map. This is just an estimate, but day 23 has been updated.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Here is a map up to the end of day 25 (with the last drive just speculation on my part). I posted it in the main thread by mistake but now have moved it.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

A new drive diary tweeted about by Andrew Jones gives details allowing a proper update to the 25th night.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Two maps for the end of the 26th day. The details of day 26 are estimated from the latest drive diary and are very much subject to revision.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

This is a corrected version of the map for the end of day 26. No news on day 27 yet except a distance of 24 m driven.

Phil

[kymani76]

Yutu 2 drive map updated to lunar day 27. The rover just started its 28th lunard day of operations. Total drive distance is approximately 632 meters.



Original article used for the update:

https://www.163.com/dy/article/G4JNJOQG0531TTYW.html

[kymani76]

If I understand above mentioned article correctly, they plan to make 1.2 km traverse to the basalt area to the northwest on day 28.
If true it will triple the total distance driven so far.

[Phil Stooke]

They are driving in that direction during the 28th day, but they will not reach the basalt for a long time. They will be hoping for a stray ejecta block from the basalt to get an analysis of that material during the long drive.

Here are my maps for lunar day 27 (I have to try very hard not to write 'sol 27'). There are slight discrepancies between different Chinese traverse maps with the exact positions of sites and drives, so this is an attempt to reconcile the sources. It's not guaranteed to be exactly right.

I am using names like Milestone and Stalagmite as if they are feature names. They might not be intended as real names but they are getting into social media and press accounts so my maps at least show where they are.

Phil

[John Moore]

The nomenclature names confused me, too, Phil.

As none of these has been officially approved by the IAU (at this stage), their significance is purely for purposes of identification, I suspect.

I wonder did the Apollo team of missions do such too?

John

[Phil Stooke]

All our Mars missions give informal names to features and targets around them, and so did the Apollo astronauts and China with the first Yutu. Most of the Apollo names were eventually made official. These will not be, I expect, but I think it is good to record them especially if they are being spread around in social media and publications.

Phil

[John Moore]

Well, at least, the IAU gave official refence to Peneus Mensa (on Mars), and the two craters of Tooley and Easley on the Moon...at the start of 2021.

As to recording them around the social media, unofficial, as such ("I think it is good to record them especially if they are being spread around in social media and publications") then that will just lead to further confusion in the general, reporting media as such. But I know what/where you mean/are going.

John

[Phil Stooke]

My feeling is that informal names are just as significant as formal names. They are all part of the history of exploration. Formal names are just a subset of all names.

Phil

[John Moore]

Yeah, see your point, Phil...you're right.

John

[Phil Stooke]

This map takes us up to the end of lunar day 28. We are just getting into day 29 so it looks like I will be needing a new map.
Phil