Mars rover finds sedimentary rocks under planet’s surface
#GS-03 Science and Technology
For Prelims:
About Zhurong rover:
- Zhurong rover is China’s first rover to land on another planet. China has landed two rovers on Moon.
- China is the third country to successfully soft-land a spacecraft on Mars and establish communications from the surface after the Soviet Union and United States.
- Zhurong rover is a part of Tianwen-1 mission which is an interplanetary mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
- Tianwen-1 mission consists of 6 spacecrafts: an orbiter, two deployable cameras, lander, remote camera, and the Zhurong rover.
About Mars:
- Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest (after Mercury) planet in the Solar System.
- Mars is a terrestrial planet and has a thin atmosphere, and it’s crust is primarily composed of elements similar to Earth’s crust, as well as a core made of iron and nickel.
- Its two moons Phobos and Deimos are named after the sons of Roman God of War Mars.
- Olympus Mons, the largest volcano and highest known mountain on any planet in the Solar System is on Mars.
- Days and seasons on Mars are comparable to those of Earth, as the planets have a similar rotation period and tilt of the rotational axis relative to the ecliptic plane.
- Mariner 4 of NASA send in 1965 performed the first successful flyby of the Mars.
About Utopia Planitia:
- Utopia Planitia is a large plain within Utopia, the largest recognized impact basin on Mars.
- Viking 2 lander touched down in this region on September 3, 1976.
- NASA reported finding a large amount of underground ice in the Utopia Planitia region on November 22, 2016.
- Many features that look like pingos on the Earth are found in Utopia Planitia.
