Pics or it didn't happen: First images from China's Mars rover suggest nothing has gone Zhurong just yet
- Reference: 1621434905
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/05/19/china_mars/
- Source link:
The rover [2]made a successful landing on 15 May but, unlike the white-knuckle livestreams of NASA, very little information has been shared since. Certainly nothing like the imagery that was sent back to Earth following the arrival of the Perseverance rover.
Two images released by CNSA, one from the front obstacle avoidance camera and the other from a navigation camera, show the rover looking in good health. The solar panels and antenna have been successfully deployed and the ramp to be used to descend to the Martian surface is clearly visible.
[3]
Click to enlarge
Also visible were two sub-surface radar rods.
The CNSA also shared video clips from the orbiter showing the lander departing for Mars.
[4]
[5]
China is only the third nation to have successfully managed a soft landing on Mars after the Soviet Union and United States. It is also the first nation to land a Mars rover on its first attempt. "At present," said CNSA, "the rover is carrying out preparations for leaving the landing platform, and will select an opportunity to drive onto the surface of Mars."
Following the successful landing, the orbiter portion of the Tiawen-1 mission fired its thrusters once again to enter what the CNSA called "the relay communication orbit" to relay data back from the rover and send on the images.
The solar-powered Zhurong rover is designed to last for 90 Sols. There is every chance it might endure far longer; China's Yutu-2 lunar rover has exceeded its designed lifetime by years and NASA's famously long-lived Opportunity rover reached its teenage years [6]before a dust storm did for it .
[7]
First, however, Zhurong must trundle down that ramp to get up close and personal with Mars. ®
Get our [8]Tech Resources
[1] http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6759533/c6812021/content.html
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/05/14/china_zhurong_mars_rover_lands/
[3] https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/05/19/zhurong.jpg
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YKU2GecV@iefDawMCcm1dQAAANU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YKU2GecV@iefDawMCcm1dQAAANU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2019/01/31/change_4_wakes/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/science&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YKU2GecV@iefDawMCcm1dQAAANU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Good to see.
Someone recently said something along the lines of "I'd prefer a public failure in a space mission to a secretive success".
I guess he doesn't remember when Soviet launches were mentioned-in-passing by the CIA 3 or 4 years after they happened. Now I watch them live on YouTube and it's still somewhat of a surprise.
"It is also the first nation to land a Mars rover on its first attempt."
Pathfinder and Sojourner would like to have a word with you.
Why not Viking 1 and 2? Happened 46 years ago. Was US' first attempt to land a craft on Mars, far as I recall. With 1975 technology.
One can only shake one's head at all this desperate propaganda
Cold War II in SPAAAAAAAAAAAACE....
or at least MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARS
Re: Cold War II in SPAAAAAAAAAAAACE....
How the heck are they going to get all those ultra-rare new minerals back to earth? Who knows, they may even find a rich seam of Unobtanium!
Mars Robot Wars!
Now we just need Craig Charles to host and we can have a robot war on Mars!
Let the wars begin!
Nothing there...
It's a shame that there's nothing much to do now that they've got there.
Good to see.
Someone recently said something along the lines of "I'd prefer a public failure in a space mission to a secretive success".
Glad to see at least some albeit partial information about this landing. I hope the science is shared.
Beer for boffins as always --->