Zhurong: Features and Mission of China's First Mars Rover

Schematic diagram of the Mars probe and Mars rover payloads configuration diagram
On May 22, 2021, at 10:40 am (Beijing Time), China’s Zhurong rover successfully reached the Mars surface and began its exploration. China is only the second nation to have conducted a successful soft landing and exploration of the red planet. The Mars probe consists of an orbiter and landing rover. The spacecraft includes an entry module consisting of a back shell, landing platform, and outsole, as well as a rover (Figure 1). Before release, the orbiter, which carries the landing rover, completed the Earth–Mars orbital transfer and an orbit reduction maneuver.

