Zhurong, if you’re still there, move the glass.
The renowned Zhurong Mars rover from China is still in sleep mode after failing to awaken last December as planned. It has been almost a month after its alleged awakening, but there is still no word on when it will resume operations in one of CNSA’s most fruitful missions to date—its probe of the nearby Red Planet.
The Tianwen-1 Mission, which included the Zhurong rover, travelled to Mars in 2021; the spacecraft is said to have been there for two years at this point.
Zhurong Rover from China Is Still Dormant
After a lengthy period of inactivity, the Chinese Zhurong Mars rover is still in hibernation, according to CNET. The Chinese National Space Administration had intended for it to hibernate until December before resumeing its regular functions and reentering its territory when it first went to sleep in May 2022.
A Chinese space programme analyst named Andrew Jones highlighted his concerns about the Zhurong’s lack of movement or awakening since December via Space News.
One of the major dangers that rovers face on their mission on the planet is a terrible dust storm, which is what caused the Zhurong to initially hibernate in late May.
Will Zhurong wake up?
His Zhurong rover in China did not wake up at the allotted time, which could cause problems, analysts say. However, this remains unclear for the time being, as there has been no statement from the CNSA regarding the Mars rover.
https://twitter.com/search?q=%23zhurong
It’s also unclear if the ability to wake up from hibernation still exists, or if it will be the end of the spacecraft.
China’s Mars mission
China’s Mars mission is one of her most famous ventures outside the world, and it is the first time China has ventured to Mars and landed a rover for its exploration. China has become the third country to land on Mars and bring a rover back to Earth, after the United States and Russia’s Roscosmos, which have numerous Mars rovers.
To date, it was the last country to travel to Mars and bring a rover to study its soil, and has the same goal as the United States to bring significant samples to Mars.
The region of the planet known as Utopia Planitia is where Zhurong made his landing.
China also posted several images of the area where it landed and the situation there when it arrived, along with a large image of the national flag to indicate its presence.
The Zhurong rover was designed to gather samples and carry out China’s instructions for their research and goals about Mars, but this task has been significantly hampered by its protracted hibernation. There is currently no information available on the rover’s capabilities and issues, particularly if it will still be able to explore the planet further.
