Zhurong, China's Mars Rover, Lets Earth a Look at Its Parachute and Backshell

Isabella James, Tech Times 16 July 2021, 01:07 am

Zhurong, China's Mars Rover, has given those back on Earth a glimpse of its parachute and backshell.

This was made possible thanks to the Mars Rover's hazard-avoidance cameras. The Zhurong was able to take black-and-white photos using the technology as well as one colored photo of the parachute-backshell. The parachute and backshell were all essential gear that helped the Zhurong Mars Rover land safely on the planet in May.

Zhurong, China's Mars Rover, Takes Photo of Parachute and Backshell

Zhurong Mars Rover Takes Photo of Its Parachute

(Photo : Screenshot taken from China National Space Administration's Weixin post)

Zhurong was around 100 feet away from its backshell when the Mars rover took the photos, according to Space. Per the same report, the backshell was responsible for covering China's Mars Rover and its lander during the trip to the planet and through its atmosphere.

According to the Chinese space officials quoted in the report, "the complete back cover structure after aerodynamic ablation, the attitude control engine diversion hole on the back cover is clearly identifiable."

Photos taken by the Zhurong Mars Rover were posted by officials on Weixin, otherwise known as WeChat.

China's Zhurong Mars Rover

(Photo : Tom Fulop-Lover of all things SPACE Flag of Australia (@TomFulop) from Twitter)

Zhurong is part of China's first homegrown Mars mission, Tianwen 1. The Mars Rover separated from the Tianwen 1 orbiter and landed on Mars last May.

Zhurong's task is to study the topography and geology of Mars. Its other missions include looking for buried water ice. It sent its first audio and video back recordings last month, as well as new pictures of Mars. The surface mission is set to last around 93 days here on Earth, which is equivalent to 90 days on Mars.

The successful landing of the Mars rover made China the second country to land and operate any robot on the Red Planet. The first one able to do so is the United States.

Space X's CEO Elon Musk and Senator Bill Nelson have since congratulated China for the images. Both expressed their happiness over the milestone as it is considered as an advancement in the international space community.

Tianwen 1 Mars Mission

Tianwen 1, China's first fully homegrown mission to Mars, was successfully launched in July 2020 and arrived in Mars's orbit last February.

China named its exploration program Tianwen, which means "quest for heavenly truth," which was announced by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) in April last year. It was named after a long poem by poet Qu Yuan.

The goal of the Tianwen 1 mission is to collect important information about Mars, such as its environment, geological structure, and atmosphere. The Mars mission is made up of the Zhurong rover, a lander, and an orbiter.

The Tianwen 1 orbiter is set to operate for at least one year in Mars' time, according to Space. That is equivalent to around 687 days here on Earth.

Also Read: China's Tianwen-1 Mars Rover Snaps First Photo of the Eerie Red Planet Amid Challenging Entry

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Written by Isabella James