Zhurong, the first rover from the Chinese National Space Administration, was deployed on Mars May 22, 2021. China is the second country to land a rover on Mars.
Zhurong, named after the Chinese fire god, was launched aboard Tianwen-1 in July 2020, and landed May 15, 2021 in the Utopia Planitia. The rover was deployed a week later. By August 15, it had completed its original planned tasks and outlived its lifespan on August 18. Chinese scientists extended the mission to investigate an ancient coastal area on Mars.
It slept from October 8-20 due to strong solar radiation between Earth and Mars. After its brief rest, it continued traveling south. In May 2022, Zhurong was switched into hibernation mode to protect against the Martian winter and a major sandstorm approaching. It was expected to wake up on December 26, 2022, but by January, CNSA scientists still had not received a signal. Observations by the Tianwen-1 orbiter showed Zhurong had been covered with dust and debris, limiting its ability to collect sunlight to recharge. The build up of the dust could render the rover inactive "forever".
