China has successfully landed the Zhurong rover on the surface of Mars, according to news reports. After three months of preparations in orbit, the 240-kilogram Zhurong rover touched down on the dunes of southern Utopia Planitia.
Zhurong is equipped with six science payloads, including a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument for analyzing surface elements and minerals, panoramic and multispectral imagers, a climate station, magnetometer and a ground-penetrating radar.
It aims to collect data on water-ice deposits, weather, topography and geology and other science data.
China becomes the second nation to land a rover on the surface of another planet followed by the US.
Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) was quoted saying, “Each and every step during the entry, descent, and landing processes was executed with perfect accuracy.”
Maria Hieta, a Space engineer at the Finnish Meteorological Institute was quoted saying, “Combining the measurements of all the weather stations will help us to better understand the Martian climate and will undoubtedly bring new information and will also help us prepare for future human exploration.”
According to CNSA, the Utopia Planitia, where the rover landed, “was selected because scientists determined that it has suitable terrain and weather for a landing and is also highly likely to have been part of an ancient Martian Ocean, making scientific research extremely worthwhile.”
