The Chinese space agency has released 4 new images that were sent back from Mars by its Zhurong rover. The images show the craft and lander bearing small national flags.
The CNSA noted that the rover placed a remote camera 10m away from the landing platform before clicking a selfie. The rover was landed on the Red Planet last month aboard the Tianwen-1 spacecraft. The spacecraft was orbiting Mars for a month before making the touchdown. The landing was made just days after NASA landed its Perseverance rover on Mars.
Surveying Utopia Planitia region on Mars
Both orbiter and lander bear small China flags, and the lander also displays outlines of the mascots for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The six-wheeled rover is examining an area called Utopia Planitia. It is hunting for signs of water or ice that could provide insights into the planet’s early signs of life.
The Zhurong rover is 182cm in height and is smaller than its NASA counterpart Perseverance rover, which is exploring the planet with its small Ingenuity helicopter buddy.
NASA aims to extract the first sample in July and return to Earth by 2031. Besides, China’s space program plans to send astronauts to its new space station next week. The three crew members will stay aboard the space station for 3 months, exceeding the length of any mission previously done by China.
China’s future roadmap
The astronauts will perform spacewalks, construction, and maintenance work alongside their scientific research. Launches are planned at regular intervals to expand the space station, send supplies, and send new crews.
China has sent lunar samples back to Earth, the first by any country in almost 5 decades, and landed the probe and rover on the far side of the Moon. China recently finished its first cargo mission by docking it to the new space station. The capsule was carrying transporting supplies and propellant. The spacecraft docked with the main Tianhe module, reports Chinese media.
NASA’s Perseverance also completed 100 sols or Mars days on the Red Planet. One Mars day or ‘sol’ is equal to 24 hours and 40 minutes on Earth.
