Why China's Moon Rover has a Facebook Page

By Ini Augustine
China’s Yu-Tu, or Jade Rabbit, lunar rover vehicle finally drove onto the moon’s surface in December 2013. This is China’s first soft landing on the Earth’s satellite in almost four decades and marks a huge advancement in the country’s space program. The moon rover landing is  a symbol of China’s technological advancement and its rising global stature. China is among the first three countries to successfully complete a lunar rover mission after the United States and the Soviet Union.

This moon rover landing is a milestone for the country because it is one of the regions where China planned to expand and grow. Another reason for this mission is to extract the moon’s resources because the moon is believed to hold Uranium, Titanium and other important mineral resources.

Why China Used Facebook for Moon Rover
Many have wondered why China chose to showcase its moon rover images on Facebook when they could have set up a separate website or used platforms like Instagram and Vine. The importance of the answer intensifies as Facebook is not available for use by the average Chinese internet user since the Gridwall blocks its access.

Aside from the obvious reason of showing the world how accomplished China has become, the following are some of the reasons Facebook was chosen instead of other more specialized virtual spaces.

• Larger User Base: One of the first reasons behind the Moon Rover page being on Facebook may be because of the large user base this social media website has. Because there are more people on Facebook, China has a greater chance of getting the attention it seeks.

• Rich Graphic Capabilities:  Another reason could be this particular social media website’s rich graphic capabilities. Features like video, pictures, and link sharing will help the moon rover mission come alive. Moreover, with Facebook, it is much easier for the users to play videos more smoothly and without any hiccups.

• Easy Interface: The user interaction with Facebook pages is much more convenient and personalized, which is why China’s lunar mission can appeal to more people. The videos, images and posts uploaded by the China Moon Rover can be shared with the click of a button, which is something that you won’t find in Instagram or Vine.

• Robust Targeting Features: One of the best things about Facebook is that this interface has robust targeting features. So if the Chinese government wanted to talk specifically to a certain kind of audience, they will be able to do so by changing ad settings.

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