China’s Mars rover may be stuck, but scientists using data from the mission still hope the vehicle can reactivate and explore again.
Zhurong, which is part of China Tianwen 1 Mission Mars, landed in Utopia Planitia in May 2021. The rover entered dormant mode in May 2022, effectively allowing it to hibernate during the winter in the planet’s northern hemisphere.
It was supposed to resume operations on its own in December last year, around the time of March‘ the northern spring equinox, when temperatures and lighting conditions were more favorable to the solar vehicle. This does not happen.
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However, Yi Xu, an associate professor at the Institute of Space Science at Macao University of Science and Technology, said (opens in a new tab) VICE World News that there may still be hope for Zhurong.
China did not comment on Zhurong’s status, but images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) prove that the rover has remained stationary for a period of time.
MRO images show that “it is covered in sand and dust, which definitely impairs its ability to convert sunlight into electricity,” Xu said.
“We have to wait, because now it’s spring, and later it would be summer season on Mars. Then it would get more sunshine, and the temperature would also rise,” Yi said. “When the battery is fully charged, the rover or instrument can work again.”
Zhurong has active means to clean his solar panels, but his period of inactivity in an area prone to dust storms has apparently impacted his ability to generate electricity and retain heat. Zhurong does not have a radioisotope heating unit like other rovers including the Chinese Yutu Moon Explorersbut instead has a pair of “windows” allowing a chemical called n-undecane to store thermal energy.
The rover was to wake up autonomously when two conditions are met. These are key components reaching over 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius) and power generation over 140 watts.
Xu co-authored a recent paper that used data from Zhurong’s ground-penetrating radar to build a picture of the layers immediately beneath the Martian surface and reveal complex layers.
Whether Zhurong recovers or not, the mission has already exceeded its expected lifespan of three Earth months. The rover has also, like its orbiter companion Tianwen 1, completed its primary scientific objectives.
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