China's space agency reveals results from data gathered by Mars rover for the 1st time

The China National Space Administration (CNSA), on September 18, released research results prepared using data from its Zhurong rover on Mars. The rover was part of China’s first Mars mission named Tianwen-1 which was launched on July 23, 2020, and landed on the red planet on May 15 last year. 

Ever since its touchdown, the rover is examining the Utopia Planitia region of Mars and has made significant discoveries in the process. In its latest achievement, the rover helped scientists confirm that its landing site was exposed to “substantial water activity” around one billion years ago. 

(Zhurong rover next to the Tianwen-1 spacecraft; Image: CNSA)

Published in Nature Astronomy, Nature Geoscience and Science Advances, the research reveals that the experts found hydrated minerals in a few rocks that are considered 'duricrust', the rocks that might have been sculpted under watery conditions. In addition to this, the rover also helped confirm that the Utopia Planitia must have experienced wind and possibly water erosion owing to the high bearing strength and low friction parameters of Martian soil in the region. 

Besides this, the scientists also obtained results on the relationship between the density of rocks on the Martian surface and the degree of surface erosion, as per CGTN. Results on the distribution of ions and neutral particles in the near-Mars space environment and the planet's gravity field were also published in the research paper. 

CNSA's Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center says that the rover, ever since its landing, has travelled over 1,900 metres. Notably, the Tianwen-1 mission also includes an orbiter that is operational for over 780 days. The orbiter, on February 10 this year, celebrated one year anniversary of its insertion into the Martian orbit. After it became operational, the orbiter has conducted high-resolution imagery of Mars and it beamed back pictures of the planet's North Pole. In July this year, CNSA also shared an intriguing image of Mars' Moon Phobos which was taken by the orbiter when it was 5,100 km away.