China rover makes history with Mars ‘terror’ landing
The Zhurong touchdown makes China the first country to carry out orbiting, landing and roving operations on Mars. (AP pic)
BEIJING: China’s Zhurong rover touched down on Mars early Saturday, state media reported, a triumph for Beijing’s increasingly bold space ambitions and a history-making feat for a nation on its first-ever Martian mission.
The lander carrying Zhurong completed the treacherous descent through the Martian atmosphere using a parachute to navigate the “seven minutes of terror” as it is known, aiming for a vast northern lava plain known as the Utopia Planitia.
The mission “successfully landed in the pre-selected area”, state broadcaster CCTV said, while the official Xinhua news agency cited the China National Space Administration (CNSA) in confirming the touchdown.
It makes China the first country to carry out an orbiting, landing and roving operation during its first mission to Mars – a feat unmatched by the only other two nations to reach the Red Planet, the US and Russia.
Zhurong, named after a Chinese mythical fire god, arrives a few months behind America’s latest probe to Mars – Perseverance – as the show of technological might between the two superpowers plays out beyond the bounds of Earth.
Six-wheeled, solar-powered and roughly 240kg, the Chinese rover is on a quest to collect and analyse rock samples from Mars’ surface.
It is expected to spend around three months there.
The launch of China’s Tianwen-1 Mars probe which carried the rover last July marked a major milestone in China’s space programme.
The spacecraft entered Mars’ orbit in February and after days of silence state media announced it had reached the “crucial touchdown stage” on Friday.
The complicated landing process has been called the “seven minutes of terror” because it happens faster than radio signals can reach Earth from Mars, meaning communications are limited.
Several US, Russian and European attempts to land rovers on Mars have failed in the past, most recently in 2016 with the crash-landing of the Schiaparelli joint Russian-European spacecraft.
The latest successful arrival came in February, when US space agency NASA landed its rover Perseverance, which has since been exploring the planet.
The US rover launched a small robotic helicopter on Mars which was the first-ever powered flight on another planet.
The country has come a long way in its race to catch up with the US and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration.
China successfully launched the first module of its new space station last month with hopes of having it crewed by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the Moon.
Last week a segment of the Chinese Long March-5B rocket disintegrated over the Indian Ocean in an uncontrolled landing back to Earth.
That drew criticism from the US and other nations for a breach of etiquette governing the return of space debris to earth, with officials saying the remnants had the potential to endanger life and property.
The lander carrying Zhurong completed the treacherous descent through the Martian atmosphere using a parachute to navigate the “seven minutes of terror” as it is known, aiming for a vast northern lava plain known as the Utopia Planitia.
The mission “successfully landed in the pre-selected area”, state broadcaster CCTV said, while the official Xinhua news agency cited the China National Space Administration (CNSA) in confirming the touchdown.
It makes China the first country to carry out an orbiting, landing and roving operation during its first mission to Mars – a feat unmatched by the only other two nations to reach the Red Planet, the US and Russia.
Zhurong, named after a Chinese mythical fire god, arrives a few months behind America’s latest probe to Mars – Perseverance – as the show of technological might between the two superpowers plays out beyond the bounds of Earth.
Six-wheeled, solar-powered and roughly 240kg, the Chinese rover is on a quest to collect and analyse rock samples from Mars’ surface.
It is expected to spend around three months there.
The launch of China’s Tianwen-1 Mars probe which carried the rover last July marked a major milestone in China’s space programme.
The spacecraft entered Mars’ orbit in February and after days of silence state media announced it had reached the “crucial touchdown stage” on Friday.
The complicated landing process has been called the “seven minutes of terror” because it happens faster than radio signals can reach Earth from Mars, meaning communications are limited.
Several US, Russian and European attempts to land rovers on Mars have failed in the past, most recently in 2016 with the crash-landing of the Schiaparelli joint Russian-European spacecraft.
The latest successful arrival came in February, when US space agency NASA landed its rover Perseverance, which has since been exploring the planet.
The US rover launched a small robotic helicopter on Mars which was the first-ever powered flight on another planet.
The country has come a long way in its race to catch up with the US and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration.
China successfully launched the first module of its new space station last month with hopes of having it crewed by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the Moon.
Last week a segment of the Chinese Long March-5B rocket disintegrated over the Indian Ocean in an uncontrolled landing back to Earth.
That drew criticism from the US and other nations for a breach of etiquette governing the return of space debris to earth, with officials saying the remnants had the potential to endanger life and property.
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kt notes:
Just imagine, in early 1970 and before, some Chinese Malaysians were sending money back to a very much deprived China - just 50 years alter, those 'deprived' Chinese has a vehicle landed on the planet Mars.
Watch out, the Bully Rover carries a marker pen to draw dash lines all over the planet....heh heh heh...
ReplyDeletethats the proper way, go battle it out in mars, usa, russia n no one here give a fuk, dun kacau xinjiang tibet hk twn n south EAST ASIA sea.
ReplyDeletetwnese hker sea chinese give zombie lots n lots of money back then n now they want our land n sea. betui zombie with bone turned over.
Wakakakakaka…
ReplyDeleteJust pure jealousy from a bunch of well dwelling katak.
Say nothing when yr altarized masters done this & that.
The moment China steps ahead all u mfers start screaming & cloaking no ends!
But that's why they r staying under that fart filled well.
chinese lead the world in most thing for the past 1500 years before qing, only the inferiority complex communist now blowing nonstop as if dont know there is no usa 500 years ago, while using the last 50 years as benchmark.
DeleteBlowing nonstop?
DeleteChina National Space Administration DIDN'T make any announcement or live broadcasting when the delayed live signal from Mars reached the control central.
Yr uncle Sam did all the poms & fanfares when the descent to Mars started as if anybody would miss it!
What f*cked benchmark r u looking for - the Chinese style or the yanks'?
If there is ever an inferiority complex showing, u r the only one parading it!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3227518/Renowned-U-S-scientist-worked-NASA-Mars-missions-resigns-disappears-FBI-investigates-suspicions-shared-defence-secrets-China.html?ito=amp_whatsapp_share-top
ReplyDeleteBetul-Betul Terror
Wakakakakakaka…
DeleteWhen did u start this trashy c&p conspiracy?
Running out of idea to shoot at the Commie?
Too bad. There will be more. But do u have the time when yr covid fate matches u?