SIC Notes | China says it has managed to land a small robot on Mars

China successfully deployed its remote-controlled “Zhurong” robot on the surface of Mars today, the first of its kind in the Asian country, the state-run CCTV reported.

China He actually tried to send a probe to Mars in 2011On a joint mission with Russia. However, the attempt failed, and then Beijing decided to pursue the adventure alone.

The Chinese launched their unmanned mission “Tianwen-1” from Earth in late July 2020.

“Tianwen-1 has successfully landed in the predetermined area” on Mars by the robot “Zhurong”, CCTV said.

The landing took place in a region of the Red Planet called “Utopia Planitia”, which is a vast plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars.

This is the first independent attempt by the Chinese.

In February, China was already able to put the “Tianwen-1” spacecraft into Mars orbit and take pictures of the red planet.

Today, he managed to place a landing unit on the surface of Mars, which would allow the “Zhurong” robot to remote control the exit.

The “Zorong” weighs more than 200 kg. It is equipped with four solar panels to supply it with power. It is expected to start working for a period of three months.

It is also equipped with cameras, radar, and lasers that allow you to study your environment and analyze the composition of Mars rocks.

The name “Zhurong” was chosen after an online survey and refers to the god of fire in Chinese mythology. The Chinese name for Mars justifies this symbolism: “huoxing,” literally “planet of fire.”