Chinese scientists are hoping for a silent Zhurong Mars rover
China’s Mars rover may be stuck, but scientists using data from the mission are still hoping the vehicle can be reactivated and explored again.
Zhurong belonging to China tienwen 1 Mars mission, landed in Utopia Planitia in May 2021. The rover entered a hibernation mode in May 2022, effectively allowing it to hibernate during winter in the planet’s northern hemisphere.
It was supposed to resume its activities around the time of autonomous in December last year Mars‘ Northern vernal equinox, when temperatures and light conditions were more favorable for the solar-powered vehicle. That didn’t happen.
Related: The latest news on China’s space program
Yi Xu, an associate professor at the Space Science Institute of Macau University of Science and Technology, told (opens in new tab) VICE World News that there may still be hope for Zhurong.
China has not commented on the status of Zhurong, but Images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) prove that the rover remained stationary for a while.
The MRO images show that “it’s covered in sand and dust, so it definitely affects its ability to convert sunlight into electricity,” Xu said.
“We have to wait because now is spring and later that would be the summer season on Mars. Then it should get more sunlight and the temperature should also rise,” Yi said. “When the battery is fully charged, the rover or the instrument can function again.”
Zhurong has active means of cleaning its solar arrays, but its inactivity in an area prone to dust storms has apparently impacted its ability to generate electricity and retain heat. Zhurong does not have a radioisotope heating unit like other rovers, including China’s Yutu Lunar Explorerbut instead has a pair of “windows” that allow a chemical called n-undecane to store thermal energy.
The rover was expected to wake up autonomously when two conditions are met. These are key components that reach temperatures in excess of 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius) and power production in excess of 140 watts.
Xu co-authored a recent article that used data from Zhurong’s ground-penetrating radar to create an image of the strata just beneath the surface of Mars reveal complex layers.
Regardless of whether Zhurong is resurrected or not, the mission has already exceeded its projected lifespan of three Earth months. The rover also, like its companion Tianwen 1 Orbiter, has completed its primary scientific goals.
Follow us @spacedotcom (opens in new tab)or on Facebook (opens in new tab) And Instagram (opens in new tab).
