China has made great strides for its first autonomous mission to Mars. That night, with the successful landing of the sorghum, it became the second country after the United States to successfully land a rover on Mars. The former USSR succeeded in landing a lander on March 3, 1971, but it was about 20 seconds after the communications landed.

According to Chinese media, the rover reached its destination Utopia Planetia, Located on a wide plainIn the northern hemisphere March.

Landing on Mars is simple. Since the beginning of the planet’s exploration, many European, Soviet and American missions have failed. FailureSchiaparelli Lander In 2016, the first European experiment on the subject underscored the difficulty of landing on the Red Planet. Tried to send to China in March 2011Chinese orbit Yinghuo-1 During a joint mission with Russia. But sonde Russian Phobos-GrantMonths after launch, Yinhuo-1 returned to the Pacific Ocean.

A mission to Mars that will last 90 days

Weighs approximately 240 Kg, Sorong should work for about 90 days. Equipped with six motorized wheels that allow it to move like a crab, the sorghum can travel up to 200 meters per hour. It carries six devices, including a camera Laser Very similarThe device may redden American Rover Curiosity. To this were added optical cameras, a radar to probe the basement, a Spectrometer, a Magnetometer A meteorological center (measurements of temperature and pressure) Vent Especially in the). It will produce four solar panels.Energy Required for its operation. Even the Tiananmen-1 orbiter or query will relay data Mars Express From the European Space Agency if China so requests.

Chinese Rover Surong to land on Mars tonight!

Article Remy Decort Published on 05/14/2021

Will China become the third country to land safely on Mars after the former Soviet Union and the United States? The reaction tonight was the arrival of the Tianwen-1 mission rover on the Red Planet.

If all goes according to plan, Shurong Rover is expected to enterAtmosphere Start landing on Mars on Friday evening 23 hours 11 minutes (UTC). More precisely on the south sideUtopia Planetia, The Chinese space agency has not yet released the coordinates. This region of the Northern Hemisphere is one of the most difficult places to land on Mars. For the record, the investigation Viking 2 Since NASA Landed in the north in 1976Utopia Planetia.

Less difficult does not mean easier

The Shurong rover will face a seven-minute ordeal that will require it to land on Mars. By selecting the area ofUtopia Planetia, The persons in charge of the mission were given every opportunity to succeed in the security landing. This area is low enough to give the spacecraft enough time to brake, and so is this southern partUtopia Planetia Large areas with very flat and very small hills seek refuge sable And large rocks. The Target Landing Ellipse is 100 km long and 20 km wide.

To land on Mars, Surong will use a heat shield, a Parachute Retro rockets with a diameter of more than 15 meters. Prior to landing, the lander will use its navigation system to locate the most suitable location. A Sensor The laser will film the ground in three dimensions, and a camera will compare it to the images it has obtained to avoid the most dangerous obstacles and find the clearest spot to land. The technologies implemented on the Mars lander are based on its legacy Chang lunar missions, For engine, navigation parts, and human flight program Shenshou ou, For heat shields and parachute systems.

FailureSchiaparelli Lander In 2016, the first European experiment on the subject underscored all the difficulties of landing on Mars. Currently, only Americans have successfully landed on Mars. The former USSR succeeded in landing a lander on March 3, 1971, but it was about 20 seconds after the communications landed.

Who was the first Chinese rover to land on Mars, the Surong?

Article by Rumi Decourt, published on 05/04/2021

On the Red Planet, NASA stands at the forefront of the media scene with its exploits Helicopter, China should steal the show soon. The Surong rover is expected to land on Mars in two to three weeks, or a few days. He is currently investigating the Tianwen-1, which is working to find the best place to land.

If all eyes are on the mission Perseverance AndTactical helicopter From NASA, don’t forget that China is getting ready to land on the Red Planet. In Orbit Around the planet from February 10, the Chinese Inquiry Tianwen-1 The Surong Rover’s landing is scheduled for a date not yet announced but from mid-May to early June. If all goes according to plan, China will become the second country to land a rover on Mars after the United States. It should be noted that in 1971 the former Soviet Union succeeded in landing a rover on the Red Planet, but the second only lasted a few tens of thousands of seconds (March 3).

For a safe landing on the south side of Shurong RoverUtopia Planetia, Requires a detailed analysis of its landing site. You should know that it is not from NASA or the Chinese space agencyThat’s it, No high card Brightness Of Mars. ThereforeOrbit NASA’s MRO (and its Hieris camera) were able to provide very detailed maps, only a few tens of centimeters in resolution, from the site.Persistent landing Before its launch. The Tianwen-1 Inquiry is currently mapping the area to draw the most detailed maps. The goal is to find the most suitable place for the rover to land safely in an atmosphere free of large rocks and as flat as possible.

A big rover

At up to 250 kilograms in length, this rover is larger than the Rovers The soul And Opportunity NASA stands for Curiosity, a quarter of the size of perseverance. Equipped with six motorized wheels that allow it to move like a crab, the sorghum can travel up to 200 meters per hour. It carries six similar devices, including a laser cameraThe device may redden American Rover Curiosity. In addition, there are optical cameras, a groundwater radar, a spectrometer, a magnetometer and a weather station (especially for measurements of temperature, pressure and wind). Its four solar panels will produce the energy needed to operate, which is expected to last 90 days or more. Data will be relayed by the Tianwen-1 orbiter or even the European Space Agency’s Mars Express probe if China so requests.