China's first moon rover "Yutu", also known as Jade Rabbit, is in distress. The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense said Yutu has experienced a mechanical control abnormality, and scientists were organizing an overhaul.

Many people first learned of the news on China's largest microblogging site through the rover's official account. In a most recent post, the account posted the following: "It's been a pleasure for me to come to the moon and share my experiences with everyone. Very soon the temperature on the moon will drop below minus 180 degrees Celsius. I'm not sure if things can be fixed in time. So I'd like to wish all of you a happy Spring Festival in advance!"

The lunar probe mission, comprised of the lander Chang'e-3 and rover Yutu, was launched in December last year as part of the second phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.