Chinese Zhurong Mars rover soldiers on after completing programme

After the United States, China is the second country to land and sustainably operate a spacecraft on Mars.

Beijing: China's Zhurong Mars rover is soldiering on after completing its initial programme to explore the red planet and search for frozen water that could provide clues as to whether it once supported life. China's National Space Administration said on its website Friday (August 20) that Zhurong completed its 90-day program on Aug. 15 and was in excellent technical condition and fully charged. It said it would continue to explore the area known as Utopia Planitia where it landed on May 14. Zhurong has been consistently sending back photos and data via the Tianwen-1 orbiter that crosses over it once a day. After the United States, China is the second country to land and sustainably operate a spacecraft on Mars, where days are 40 minutes longer than on Earth.