The unmanned Tianwen-1 mission is the first ever Chin an expedition to the red planet. The Tianwen-1 probe with the Zhurong rover landed last Saturday on Mars, near the Utopia Planitia plain. The Chinese National Space Agency CNSA has just published the first photos taken by Zhurong on its website. The photos show the landscape in front of the rover and the rear of the machine with solar panels and an antenna. There were also short recordings showing the moment when the shielded lander separated from the probe.
Mars. The mission of the Zhurong rover is expected to last three months
Zhurong is named after the god of fire in ancient Chinese mythology. Jeep closely resembles the Spirit and Opportunity vehicles shipped by NASA in the first decade of the 21st century. Zhurong has six wheels, is 1.85 m tall and weighs 240 kg. It is powered by solar energy. Its task is to study the rocks and the atmosphere and search for possible signs of life on the red planet. Chinese scientists hope Zhurong’s mission will last at least 90 days.
In February 2021, a much larger (one tonne) Perseverance rover stood on the surface of Mars. The European Space Agency, in cooperation with the Russian Roscosmos, plans to send a rover called Rosalind Franklin to this planet next year.
Utopia Planitia is the site where NASA conducted the Viking-2 mission in 1976. This is a huge pool with a diameter of over 3000 kmwhich was created as a result of a strong impact. There is evidence that there was once an ocean at this site.
