[ad_1]
New “selfie”, showing the Zhurong rover and its landing platform. Photo: CNSA via Xinhua
The Jurong rover, whose name translates to “God of Fire,” used a detachable wireless camera to snap a smart picture of itself and its landing pad on Mars.
It’s small compared to NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rover, but the six-wheeled Zhurong is a big deal for China, as it’s the country’s first mission to explore the Red Planet. China’s National Space Administration unveiled a batch of photos today in celebration of the mission, state-run Xinhua reports.
The 530-pound (240-kilogram) craft landed on May 14, and lifted off from the landing pad on May 22. Zhurong explores Utopia Planetia – a plain visited by NASA’s Viking Lander 2 in 1976.
To create a selfie, the rover placed a wireless camera on the dusty surface, walked 33 feet (10 metres) away, and set it in position, Nature reports. The photo shows Zhurong with the mast head proudly extended, along with a rocket-powered platform that brought the rover to the surface. Chinese flags can be seen on both cars.
The landing platform is displayed separately from each other. Photo: CNSA via Xinhua
G/O Media may get commission
360 degree panorama showing the landing site. Photo: CNSA via Xinhua
Other images include a 360-degree panoramic view of the landing site, a shot of the landing platform in isolation (along with the wheel tracks at the base of the extended ramp), and an unobstructed image showing Zhurong’s current environment.
The view of the immediate environment of the Chinese landing craft. Photo: CNSA via Xinhua
The Zhurong mission is expected to last for 90 Mars days, or Mars days, during which time you’ll track weather, study geology, and perform other duties as a distant planetary scientist. The rover contains a laser to analyze rocks and radar to sniff out the water ice below the surface. Interesting features of Utopia Planitia include dune-like structures, possible frost, and remnants of ancient lava or mud volcanoes.
Images taken by the Tianwen-1 probe show the landing site before and after landing. Photo: CNSA
Earlier this week, the Chinese space agency released new images of Mars taken by its Tianwen-1 probe. A high-resolution image taken on June 2, shows Zhurong and the landing craft on the surface, along with a dark spot caused by the landing craft’s retro rockets. The orbiter Tianwen-1, which launched with Zhurong on July 23, 2020, will spend an entire Martian year, or 687 Earth days, transmitting communications to the craft and conducting its own science work.
Zhurong is one of three rovers currently operating on the Red Planet, the other being NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance (NASA’s InSight probe is also active on Mars, but it is immobile). With the Perseverance startup phase now complete, the rover is ready to embark on its first scientific expedition. Mars has suddenly become a very busy place, which is amazing.
.
[ad_2]
Picture Credit!