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May 21st, 2022
Deployment of China’s Zhurong Mars rover on May 22, 2021. Credit: CNSA
The China National Space Administration has noted that the country’s Zhurong Mars rover has been placed in dormancy-mode due to sand and dust storms.
Zhurong is predicted to resume its operation at year’s end, according to China Central Television (CCTV).
Imagery taken by Zhurong on March 16 and April 30, along with analyzing the data of electricity changes of Zhurong’s solar wings, scientists estimated that Mars is experiencing strong sandstorms.
Dusty Zhurong rover.
Credit: CNSA
To deal with the sandstorms which may weaken Zhurong’s power generating capacity and the low temperatures at night, scientists decided to switch Zhurong to dormant mode.
The CCTV explains that, as Zhurong’s landing area enters the winter season, the highest daytime temperatures drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius and the night temperatures may drop below minus 100 degrees Celsius with high probability of sandstorms. The temperature will continue to drop in mid-July.
Dust storm on the Red Planet observed by China’s Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter..
Credit: CNSA
Back to work
It is predicted that around December when the landing area comes into the spring season and the environmental conditions get better, Zhurong will get back to work.
In the meantime, the Mars probe Tianwen-1 is conducting remote sensing over Mars. The current image that it sent back shows the landform of the circumpolar latitude in the southern hemisphere of Mars.
The Mars mission team will try their best to continue monitoring the weather using the orbiter, the CCTV story explained.
Go to this video detailing the status of China’s Mars rover at:
Posted in Space News
