China has not released any update about its Mars rover - Zhurong. There are speculations that it may be dead.
What Happens To CNSA's Zhurong Mars Rover?
China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched Zhurong for its first interplanetary mission, Tianwen-1, in July 2020. It landed on Mars in May 2021.
Zhurong marked the country's first-ever Martian rover. China was the third country to successfully land on the Red Planet after the United States and the Soviet Union, according to The Register. The Asian country is the second to land and operate a rover on the Red Planet, Space.com added.
However, there are concerns about the rover's condition. The Register claimed that the Zhurong rover may be dead because it has shown no sign of life.
Photographs captured by the HiRISE camera onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter revealed that the rover is near a crater and it hasn't moved since September 2022.
Zhurong was expected to wake up in late December, but it didn't make any progress. It's possible that the rover struggles to generate enough energy and turn itself back to life due to its solar panels being covered with dust. The dust may have prevented it from converting sunlight into power.
If Zhurong is dead, it's not the first one to die. In December NASA's Insight Mars lander was officially declared dead after it failed to respond to the mission's controllers following two attempts to make contact, AL.com reported.
The mission was led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and part of NASA's Discovery Program managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. It touched down on Mars in 2018 and had gathered several data for over four years of its service.
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China Silent on Zhurong's Fate Despite Tianwen 1 Mission's Anniversary
On Feb. 10, China's Tianwen 1 mission marked its second anniversary in orbit around Mars. The Chinese space agency celebrated its second anniversary with short articles highlighting Tianwen 1's achievements with only a brief mention of Zhurong. They also did not provide new photos of the Mars rover, Space.com noted.
Zhurong entered hibernation in May 2022 due to its declining solar power during winter in Mars' northern hemisphere. It was expected to wake up in December, around the spring equinox, but it did not.
The rover does not carry a radioisotope heater unit. Instead, it has a pair of "windows" allowing a chemical called n-undecane to store heat energy.
The substance absorbs heat and melts during the day and solidifies and releases heat at night, according to the Chinese state media.
Dust storms may have affected its ability to generate enough heat and light to operate, but there are chances that it may still reactivate in warmer conditions or when the Martian wind cleans its solar arrays.
Zhurong's future is unclear and China has remained mum about its fate.
Meanwhile, Tianwen 1 has continued operation despite Zhurong's inactivity. Tianwen 1 and Zhurong have both completed their primary missions and even won international awards. Updates were previously provided when the Yutu lunar suffered locomotive issues in 2014.
China is planning a Mars sample return mission named Tianwen 3. It is slated to launch in 2028.
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