Zhurong, which is part of China Tianwen 1 Mars mission, landed in Utopia Planitia in May 2021. The rover went into hibernation in May 2022, effectively allowing it to hibernate during winter in the planet’s northern hemisphere.
It was supposed to autonomously resume operations last December, around the time of Mars‘ northern vernal equinox, when temperatures and light conditions were more favorable for the solar-powered vehicle. It hasn’t happened.Related: The latest news on China’s space program
But Yi Xu, an associate professor at the Space Science Institute of the Macau University of Science and Technology, told (opens in new tab) VICE World News that there may still be hope for Zhurong.
China has not commented on the status of Zhurong, but images from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) proves that the rover has been stationary for a while.
The MRO images show that “it’s covered in the sand and dust, so it definitely hurts its ability to convert sunlight into electricity,” Xu said.
“We have to wait because now it is spring and later it will be the summer season on Mars. Then it should receive more sunlight and the temperature will also increase,” Yi said. “Once the battery is fully charged, the rover or instrument can operate again.”
Zhurong has active means of cleaning its solar panels, but its period of inactivity in an area prone to dust storms has apparently affected its ability to generate electricity and retain heat. Zhurong does not have a radioisotope heater, like other rovers, including China’s Yutu moon explorerbut instead have a pair of “windows” that allow a chemical called n-undecane to store heat energy.
The rover was expected to wake up autonomously when two conditions are met. These are key components that reach a temperature of more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius) and energy generation of more than 140 watts.
Xu co-authored a recent paper that used data from Zhurong’s ground-penetrating radar to build a picture of the layers immediately below the Martian surface and reveal complex layering.
Regardless of whether Zhurong rises again, the mission has already exceeded its planned lifespan of three Earth months. The rover, like its companion Tianwen 1 orbiter, has also completed its primary natural science goals.
follow us @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab)or on Facebook (opens in new tab) and Instagram (opens in new tab).