Xi sends congratulatory letter on Mars probe's historic landing
In the coming days, the rover, which was recently named Zhurong after an ancient Chinese god of fire, is scheduled to observe and map the landing site, perform self-examinations and then leave the capsule to roam the landing area for scientific surveys, the administration said.
If it steps safely on the Martian soil and works as planned, Zhurong will become the sixth rover deployed on Mars. It will also give Chinese scientists their first opportunity to closely observe Mars, which was first recorded in the country on oracle bone inscriptions in about 1300 BC.
Sun Zezhou, chief designer of the Tianwen 1 probe, has said that a rover will need to overcome an array of difficulties on Mars such as disturbed reception of sunlight and extreme weather to survive and operate.
He said the Chinese rover has been programmed to enter dormancy under extreme circumstances and then reactivate itself.
