Chinese researchers hope that Zhurong will last for at least ninety days. The cart has, among other things, a laser instrument to analyze the composition of the rock and a radar to search for ice below the surface. There are several cameras on the mast and Zhurong also has an instrument to study the weather.
According to Andrew Jones, a British journalist specializing in Chinese space travel, the successful landing and functioning of the rover so far represent a big step for China.
“This is China’s first independent planetary mission. They already had one that hitched a ride with a Russian probe in 2011, but it didn’t come from orbit,” Jones said. “Now they are trying again, but this time they are doing it all by themselves. They can do a lot more now, with rockets that are much more powerful. They have already put some landers and rovers on the moon, so they have experience with that too. Although the conditions on Mars are very different. “
The rover is relatively close to one of the first successful landers on Mars, Viking 2. The new American rover Perseverance is also driving around a short distance. The short distance is relative: Perseverance and Zhurong are still more than 1800 kilometers apart and will certainly not meet each other.
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