China’s First Mars Rover May Have Run Into Trouble on the Dusty Planet

Hello, Zhurong rover and Tianwen-1 lander. This selfie came from a remote camera set on the surface of Mars.
CNSA

This story is part of Welcome to Mars, our series exploring the red planet.

The future of China’s charismatic Zhurong Mars rover is looking uncertain. The small solar-powered rover went into hibernation in May 2022 due to an intense Martian dust storm. It was expected to wake up in December in warmer and less dusty conditions, but there’s been no confirmation it’s still functioning. 

The China National Space Administration’s rover touched down on the surface of Mars in May 2021 as part of the Tianwen-1 mission, which also included an orbiter and lander. Andrew Jones, a journalist specializing in China’s space program, reported in SpaceNews on Monday that the mission may be in trouble and Zhurong may potentially be lost.

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Details on the mission’s current status are sketchy, which isn’t unusual for China’s space program. South China Morning Post cited unnamed sources saying scientists were still waiting for a signal from the rover and hoped the Tianwen-1 orbiter could capture images from orbit. 

There have been some questions about Tianwen-1 and whether communications are working properly with the orbiter. Jones shared a short update from Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology saying the spacecraft is operating normally. 

We’ve got an update from SAST which says that Tianwen-1 orbiter is operating normally and continuing science tasks. No word on Zhurong. https://t.co/Vt49X9iI9p https://t.co/833G3NFsWL

— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) January 10, 2023

Concern for the mission will linger until a more complete update comes out.  

Zhurong is located in a plains area called Utopia Planitia. The rover delivered an adorable selfie and traveled over a mile across the planet’s surface. The historic mission made China the only country besides the US to operate a rover on Mars.

Even if Tianwen-1 and Zhurong never get in touch with Earth again, the mission will still be considered a success. The rover handily outlasted its original three-month life expectancy and got a mission extension. If dust is the ultimate culprit in its demise, it will be in good company with NASA’s Opportunity rover and InSight lander. 

Mars is a tough place for a machine, especially if it needs sunlight to keep going.