by The Chinese Mars rover may be stuck, but scientists using data from the mission still hope the vehicle can be reactivated and explored again.
Zhurong, which is part of China Tianwen 1 The Mars mission landed in Utopia Planitia in May 2021. The rover went into a dormant mode in May 2022, effectively allowing it to hibernate in the planet’s northern hemisphere.
It would autonomously resume operations in December last year, around the time of Marsnorthern vernal equinox, when temperatures and lighting conditions were more favorable for the solar-powered vehicle. That didn’t happen.
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However, Yi Xu, an associate professor at the Space Science Institute at Macau University of Science and Technology, told (opens in new tab) VICE World News that there may still be hope for Zhurong.
China has not commented about the status of Zhurong, but images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) evidence that the rover has been stationary for a while.
The MRO images show that “it’s covered in the sand and dust, so it definitely detracts from its ability to convert sunlight into electricity,” Xu said.
“We have to wait, because now it’s spring, and later it’s the summer season on Mars. Then it should get more sunlight and the temperature will also rise,” Yi said. “When the battery is fully charged, the rover or instrument can operate again.”
Zhurong has active means of cleaning its solar panels, but the period of inactivity in an area prone to dust storms has apparently impacted its ability to generate electricity and retain heat. Zhurong does not have a radioisotope heating unit, like other rovers, including China’s Yutu lunar explorersbut instead has a pair of “windows” through which a chemical called n-undecane can store heat energy.
The rover would wake up autonomously if two conditions are met. These are key components that reach temperatures in excess of 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius) and power generation in excess of 140 watts.
Xu is a co-author of a recent paper that used data from Zhurong’s ground-penetrating radar to image the layers directly beneath the surface of Mars and reveal complex layering.
Whether or not Zhurong rises again, the mission has already exceeded its planned lifespan of three Earth months. The rover, like its companion Tianwen 1 orbiter, has also completed its mission primary scientific goals.
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