The extreme conditions of Planet Mars are again taking their toll. After NASA's InSight lander recently died on Mars, this time it's China's Zhurong rover whose fate has become a question mark after losing contact.
Zhurong first landed on the surface of Mars in May 2021 as part of the Tianwen-1 mission. China's first mission launched to Mars will also carry an orbiter and lander.
The solar-powered rover spent about a year exploring and conducting experiments on Mars. However, in May 2022 Zhurong must enter hibernation to face the extreme Martian winter.
Winter on Mars is not only characterized by extreme temperatures (down to -100 degrees Celsius at night) but also sand and dust storms that have the potential to cover Zhurong's solar panels and make it difficult to collect sunlight.
Zhurong is scheduled to wake up from hibernation at the end of December 2022, when Mars starts entering spring. However, until now the China National Space Administration (CNSA) has not provided an update on the condition of the rover.
The South China Morning Post quoted an unnamed source as saying the control center team on Earth had not received any signal from Zhurong after hibernation ended.
It's not yet known what caused the problem, but SCMP sources say it's likely because the solar panels are covered in sand and dust making it difficult to generate the power needed to get back into operation.
It's not just the Zhurong rover whose fate is a question mark. The Tianwen-1 orbiter, which is tasked with relaying communications from Zhurong to the control center on Earth, also lost communication.
However, an update from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology said the vehicle was operating normally, as quoted by Cnet, Sunday (14/1/2023).
Rover Zhurong occupies a plain area called Utopia Planitia. The Zhurong rover's landing is somewhat historic, considering that this is China's first mission to Mars and they have succeeded in becoming the second country to land a rover on the Red Planet after the United States.
Even if Zhurong and Tianwen-1 could no longer communicate with Earth, the mission would still be considered a success. The Zhurong Rover is targeted to operate for three months after landing, but can last up to one year.