China’s lunar rover Jade Rabbit is still alive and kicking.

The plucky rover, which famously sent out a dying message in January, is severely handicapped but is still functioning, Chinese authorities said Monday.

Sent to the moon by China to study its surface and mineral resources, Jade Rabbit experienced unexpected malfunctions six weeks into its operation.

Before entering the second moon night in late January, Jade Rabbit sent out a last message that it had run into some problem and that “I know I might not survive this moon night.”

Since then, it has been unable to move farther and entered into a deep “coma” that lasted for about 50 days before waking up in mid-March.

The six-wheeled rover was designed with a life expectancy of three months. Chinese experts said Monday that the rover appears to have tripped over some rocks – the whole surface of the moon is like a quarry, said the official Xinhua news agency.


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