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China lands its Zhurong rover on Mars | China lands its Zhurong rover on Mars |
(32 minutes later) | |
An animation shows how the Zhurong rover touched down | An animation shows how the Zhurong rover touched down |
China has successfully landed a spacecraft on Mars, state media announced early on Saturday. | China has successfully landed a spacecraft on Mars, state media announced early on Saturday. |
The six-wheeled Zhurong robot was targeting Utopia Planitia, a vast terrain in the planet's northern hemisphere. | The six-wheeled Zhurong robot was targeting Utopia Planitia, a vast terrain in the planet's northern hemisphere. |
The vehicle used a combination of a protective capsule, a parachute and a rocket platform to make the descent. | The vehicle used a combination of a protective capsule, a parachute and a rocket platform to make the descent. |
The successful touchdown is a remarkable achievement, given the difficult nature of the task. | The successful touchdown is a remarkable achievement, given the difficult nature of the task. |
Only the Americans have really mastered landing on Mars until now. All other countries that have tried have either crashed or lost contact soon after reaching the surface. | Only the Americans have really mastered landing on Mars until now. All other countries that have tried have either crashed or lost contact soon after reaching the surface. |
Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated the mission team on its "outstanding achievement" in a special message. | Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated the mission team on its "outstanding achievement" in a special message. |
"You were brave enough for the challenge, pursued excellence and placed our country in the advanced ranks of planetary exploration," he said. | "You were brave enough for the challenge, pursued excellence and placed our country in the advanced ranks of planetary exploration," he said. |
Thomas Zurbuchen, the head of science at the US space agency (Nasa), was quick also to add his own congratulations. | |
"Together with the global science community, I look forward to the important contributions this mission will make to humanity's understanding of the Red Planet," he said. | "Together with the global science community, I look forward to the important contributions this mission will make to humanity's understanding of the Red Planet," he said. |
China succeeds in putting a probe in Mars orbit | China succeeds in putting a probe in Mars orbit |
UAE space mission returns first image of Mars | UAE space mission returns first image of Mars |
Remarkable photo of Mars rover during landing | Remarkable photo of Mars rover during landing |
The mission team received a congratulatory message from the president | The mission team received a congratulatory message from the president |
The robot officially landed at 07:18 on Saturday, Beijing time (Friday 23:18 GMT), according to state media. | The robot officially landed at 07:18 on Saturday, Beijing time (Friday 23:18 GMT), according to state media. |
It took 17 minutes to unfold its solar panels and send a signal back to Earth. | It took 17 minutes to unfold its solar panels and send a signal back to Earth. |
Zhurong, which means God of Fire, was carried to Mars on the Tianwen-1 orbiter, which arrived above the planet in February. | Zhurong, which means God of Fire, was carried to Mars on the Tianwen-1 orbiter, which arrived above the planet in February. |
The probe then spent time surveying Utopia, taking high-resolution images to pinpoint the safest place to put the rover down. | The probe then spent time surveying Utopia, taking high-resolution images to pinpoint the safest place to put the rover down. |
The aim with all such ventures is to pick a spot that is devoid of imposing craters and where the landscape isn't covered in large boulders. | The aim with all such ventures is to pick a spot that is devoid of imposing craters and where the landscape isn't covered in large boulders. |
Chinese engineers would have had to follow the landing effort with a time lag. | Chinese engineers would have had to follow the landing effort with a time lag. |
The current distance to Mars is 320 million km, which means radio messages take almost 18 minutes to reach Earth. | The current distance to Mars is 320 million km, which means radio messages take almost 18 minutes to reach Earth. |
Every stage of the Zhurong robot's approach to the surface therefore would have been conducted autonomously. | |
Engineers follow events at Mars with a time lag of many minutes | Engineers follow events at Mars with a time lag of many minutes |
The landing architecture was a familiar one. | The landing architecture was a familiar one. |
The rover was encased in an aeroshell for the initial phase of the nine-minute descent. This capsule's dive to the surface was slowed by pushing up against the Martian air. | The rover was encased in an aeroshell for the initial phase of the nine-minute descent. This capsule's dive to the surface was slowed by pushing up against the Martian air. |
The heat this generated was managed by a forward-facing shield. | The heat this generated was managed by a forward-facing shield. |
At a predetermined time, a parachute opened to reduce the velocity still further. | At a predetermined time, a parachute opened to reduce the velocity still further. |
Finally, the Zhurong robot broke away on a rocket-powered bench for the manoeuvres that took it safely to the ground. | Finally, the Zhurong robot broke away on a rocket-powered bench for the manoeuvres that took it safely to the ground. |
Landing on Mars is always a daunting challenge but China would have had confidence going into the procedure, given the great competence it has shown in its space endeavours of late. | Landing on Mars is always a daunting challenge but China would have had confidence going into the procedure, given the great competence it has shown in its space endeavours of late. |
This is a nation that has been putting rovers on the Moon, and bringing lunar samples back to Earth. This month it launched the first segment of a space station above our planet. | This is a nation that has been putting rovers on the Moon, and bringing lunar samples back to Earth. This month it launched the first segment of a space station above our planet. |
A model shows Zhurong to have a similar look to Nasa's Spirit and Opportunity vehicles | A model shows Zhurong to have a similar look to Nasa's Spirit and Opportunity vehicles |
Now that Zhurong has got down successfully, scientists will try to get at least 90 Martian days of service out of it, studying the local geology. A day, or Sol, on Mars lasts 24 hours and 39 minutes. | Now that Zhurong has got down successfully, scientists will try to get at least 90 Martian days of service out of it, studying the local geology. A day, or Sol, on Mars lasts 24 hours and 39 minutes. |
The robot looks a lot like Nasa's Spirit and Opportunity vehicles from the 2000s. It weighs some 240kg and is powered by fold-out solar panels. | The robot looks a lot like Nasa's Spirit and Opportunity vehicles from the 2000s. It weighs some 240kg and is powered by fold-out solar panels. |
A tall mast carries cameras to take pictures and aid navigation; five additional instruments will investigate the mineralogy of local rocks and the general nature of the environment, including the weather. | A tall mast carries cameras to take pictures and aid navigation; five additional instruments will investigate the mineralogy of local rocks and the general nature of the environment, including the weather. |
Like the American rovers, Zhurong has a laser tool to zap rocks to assess their chemistry and a radar to look for sub-surface water-ice. | Like the American rovers, Zhurong has a laser tool to zap rocks to assess their chemistry and a radar to look for sub-surface water-ice. |
Utopia Planitia is where Nasa landed its Viking-2 mission in 1976. | Utopia Planitia is where Nasa landed its Viking-2 mission in 1976. |
It's a colossal basin - more than 3,000km across - that was formed by an impact early in Mars' history. | It's a colossal basin - more than 3,000km across - that was formed by an impact early in Mars' history. |
There is some evidence pointing to it having held an ocean long ago. | There is some evidence pointing to it having held an ocean long ago. |
Remote sensing by satellites indicates there are significant stores of ice at depth. | Remote sensing by satellites indicates there are significant stores of ice at depth. |