Mars rover finds sedimentary rocks under planet’s surface

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.