Year of the Rabbit: Three faces of the Chinese rabbit you may not know

The rabbit's common association with Earth's only natural satellite led China to name its first moon rover "Yutu." Aboard the Chang'e lunar probe, the buggy steered onto the surface of the moon in 2013.

Instead of concocting elixirs of immortality, the Yutu rover sampled moon rocks and conducted experiments. It operated on the moon for over two years, outliving its designed lifespan of just three months.

In 2019, China sent another rabbit visitor to the moon. The Yutu-2 rover and the Chang'e-4 probe soft-landed on the dark side of the moon -- a first for humanity. Still in good condition, the robotic rabbit has traveled 1,455 meters on the moon's far side as of Jan. 3.