#Zhurong Mars Lander

[raybittechnologies]

Revolutionary Space Robotics: The AI-Driven Future of Space Missions

Space exploration has been one of the biggest challenges for human beings. Now, as technology is growing up, robots are at the helm in exploring unknown territories. From Mars rovers to robotic arms at space stations, space robotics is revolutionizing methods of studying the cosmos while making missions safer, cheaper, and more efficient.

What Is Space Robotics?

Space robotics concerns the development and use of robots to support or replace humans in space missions. The robotic systems can be either autonomous or teleoperated for accomplishing different tasks in environments that are impossible or too dangerous or expensive for astronauts. Because space provides extreme conditions like high radiation, low gravity, and harsh temperatures, robots become an essential element in the process of exploring planets, constructing space stations, repairing satellites, and even cleaning up space debris.

Key Applications of Space Robotics

1.Planetary Exploration Rovers

The most visible example of space robotics is the planetary rover. These vehicles rove and analyze the surfaces of planets, collect samples, and send back data to Earth. Examples include the NASA Perseverance Rover, which is currently studying the geology of Mars and searching for evidence of past life; China’s Zhurong Rover, which is determining the climate and surface composition of Mars.

2. Robotic Arms and Manipulators

Robotics arms are considered an essential component in space stations and spacecrafts for various construction, repair, and maintenance activities. Some of the most popular arms include:

Canadarm2 (used by the International Space Station for capturing cargo spacecraft as well as assisting astronauts)

The European Robotic Arm (ERA), which helps to attach and repair into space.

3. Autonomous Spacecraft and Landers

Robotic landers and probes are used to explore deep space and planetary surfaces. These systems operate independently, collecting vital data. Examples include:

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx, which successfully retrieved samples from the asteroid Bennu.

One was India’s Chandrayaan-3, that landed on the Moon and relayed vital information about its surface.

4. Satellite Servicing and Space Debris Cleanup

As the number of satellites in orbit around Earth continues to increase, with thousands already up there, concerns about maintenance and debris cleanup are rising. Defunct satellites can be captured and repaired or removed safely by developing robotic systems. ESA’s e.Deorbit and ClearSpace-1 missions use robotic arms and automated systems to tackle this increasing problem.

5. Human Contingent in Space Missions

Space robots not only work on their own but also assist astronauts. Humanoid robots and AI assistants are capable of performing various kinds of labor. Some of the examples are:

NASA’s Robonaut: A humanoid robot capable of working in spacecraft.

Russia’s FEDOR is a humanoid, capable of piloting a spacecraft and doing maintenance work.

Challenges in Space Robotics

Despite all these advantages, space robots do face severe challenges:

Space Condition – Radiation, microgravity, and extreme temperature.

Energy Limitations: Most rely on solar power, which can be quite inconsistent in deep space.

Complex Autonomy –11Robots should make decisions instantly without human help.

The Future of Space Robotics

Advances in AI, robotics, and automation will define the future of space exploration as a high dependence on robotic systems. Developing self-repairing robots, AI-driven mission planning, and swarms of robotic explorers working together to achieve complex tasks is also part of research activities. The space robotics sector will take a leading role in defining the future of interplanetary exploration with the increased ambitions of Mars, Moon, and other interplanetary missions.

Conclusion

Space robotics has changed the very way of exploration of space into missions that are safer, smarter, and efficient. These machines, intelligent, will enable humans to explore planets and do impossible things that risk humans’ lives. From getting data on other worlds to supporting astronauts in space, robots have been the primary components of any space mission to be carried out in the near future.

As we look to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, space robots will continue to play a critical role in preparing for human exploration. Their capabilities are expanding the boundaries of what’s possible, bringing us closer to understanding the universe and enabling future space travel

[valiantranchcreatorsuitcase]

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[spacenutspod]

China continues to take great strides as part of its goal to become a superpower in space and a direct competitor with NASA. In addition to its proposed expansion of the Tiangong space station and the creation of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), China is also planning on sending crewed missions to Mars in the coming decade. In preparation for the arrival of taikonauts on the Red Planet, China is gearing up to return samples of Martian soil and rock to Earth roughly two years ahead of the proposed NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return (MSR). This mission will be the third in the China National Space Administration’s (CNSA) Tianwen program (Tianwen-3) and will consist of a pair of launches in 2028 that will return samples to Earth in July 2031. According to a new study recently published in the journal Chinese Science Bulletin, Chinese scientists announced that they have developed a new numerical model to simulate the atmospheric environment of Mars. Known as the Global Open Planetary atmospheric model for Mars (aka. GoPlanet-Mars, or GoMars), this model offers research support in preparation for the Tianwen-3 mission. The paper, titled “Development of a new generation of Mars atmosphere model GoPlanet-Mars,” was performed by researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAP-CAS), the State Key Laboratory of Numerical Simulation of Atmospheric Science and Geohydrodynamics (LASG), and the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (SEPS-UCAS). The study was led by Wang Bin, a Senior Researcher with the CAS-IAP who specializes in climate modeling. A wireless camera took this ‘group photo’ of China’s Tianwen-1 lander and rover on Mars’ surface. Credit: Chinese Space Agency In the past two decades, the number of missions and space agencies engaged in the exploration of Mars has increased considerably. At present, ten robotic missions are exploring its surface and atmosphere, including seven orbiters, two rovers, and one helicopter. And with many more destined for Mars in the next decade (as well as crewed missions), the demand for Martian weather forecasts is growing. As they indicate in their paper, “The world’s aerospace powers have developed Mars atmosphere models to provide meteorological environment protection for landing exploration.” To provide information on the meteorological conditions around the Tianwen-3 mission’s potential landing sites, the research team built a global open planetary atmospheric model for Mars. They then used this model to replicate the three critical cycles of the Martian atmosphere: dust, water, and carbon dioxide. They then tested the model using the Open access to Mars Assimilated Remote Soundings (OpenMARS) dataset, a global record of Martian weather from 1999 to 2015, as well as observations made by China’s Zhurong rover (part of China’s Tianwen-1 mission) and NASA’s Viking 1 and 2 landers. Their results showed that the GoMars model successfully reproduced the unique characteristics of surface pressure on Mars and provided good simulation performance for the surface temperature, zonal wind, polar ice, and dust. According to Wang, the Tianwen-3 mission will expand upon Tianwen-1 by adding the additional tasks of landing, sampling, and returning, which requires detailed information about Mars’ atmospheric conditions. This is crucial given how sandstorms caused multiple missions to be lost, such as Opportunity, Insight, and Zhurong – all due to the buildup of dust on their solar panels. In addition, the Perseverance rover suffered damage to one of its wind sensors during a sandstorm due to airborne pebbles colliding with it. Since observation data is in short supply for Mars, the model also has applications for virtual reality simulations. This is necessary when prepping missions to remote planets, which helps them design vehicles and select appropriate landing sites. In this respect, a “virtual Mars” program that incorporates GoMars and future observations could take a lot of the guesswork out of future mission planning. Since the 1960s, when the Soviet and American space programs began sending probes to Mars, scientists have been developing Martian atmospheric models in the hopes of overcoming the “Mars Curse.” With a growing number of nations sending missions to Mars, the need for climate modeling has become all the more crucial. In the end, dust and weather can have a significant impact on the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) phase. They can also affect surface operations, particularly where solar panels, communications, and sensitive instruments are concerned. They can also be a problem during the ascent phase, where missions attempt to reach orbit and return to Earth – for example, as part of a sample return mission. As Wang commented in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency: “The dust cycle on Mars is as important as the water cycle on Earth. GoMars can be used to simulate the dust activity before and after the rover’s dormancy, which can provide atmospheric environment data to analyze the possible causes of the dormancy. For example, GoMars can simulate the temperatures of the landing zone, and scientists can use these data to design materials that are suitable for building Mars rovers to cope with extreme cold.” Early in the next decade, NASA and the ESA also intend to send the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission to retrieve samples obtained by the Perseverance rover. This will consist of a NASA Sample Retrieval Lander, two Sample Recovery Helicopters, a Mars Ascent Vehicle, and an ESA Earth Return Orbiter. NASA and the ESA currently expect this mission to launch no sooner than 2033, coinciding with NASA’s first crewed mission to Mars leaving Earth. Clearly, the new Space Race extends beyond the Moon and now includes reaching Mars! Further Reading: CGTN The post China Wants to Retrieve a Sample of Mars by 2028 appeared first on Universe Today.

[mindfulwrath]

If you count landers as wells as rovers and expand beyond just Mars, you get a lot more! For 2025:

January 3rd - Chang'e 4 lander's 6th birthday

January 14th - Huygens lander's 20th birthday

(February 5th - 54th anniversary of Apollo 14 landing)

(April 17th - 55th anniversary of Apollo 13's safe return to Earth)

(April 21st - 53rd anniversary of Apollo 16 landing)

May 14th - Zhurong rover's 4th birthday

May 25th - Phoenix lander's 17th birthday

July 4th - Sojourner rover/Pathfinder lander's 28th birthday

July 20th - Viking 1 lander's 49th birthday (also 56th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing)

(July 30th - 54th anniversary of Apollo 15 landing and the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle)

August 23rd - Pragyan rover and Vikram lander's 2nd birthday

September 3rd - Viking 2 lander's 49th birthday

(October 4th - 68th anniversary of Sputnik launch)

October 18th - Venera 4 lander's 58th birthday

November 17th - Lunokhod 1 rover's 55th birthday (THE FIRST SPACE ROVER EVER!)

(November 19th - 56th anniversary of Apollo 12 landing)

(December 11th - 53rd anniversary of Apollo 17 landing)

(December 14th, 22:54:37 PM UTC - 53 years since a human being was on the Moon)

Setting up my calendar for next year and including the mars rovers' birthdays as well as friends' and relatives', because we should really have more space holidays

[usainfo]

Zhurong Mars Lander

This comes from the BBC and is facinating: China lands its Zhurong rover on Mars By Jonathan Amos BBC Science Correspondent Published7 hours ago  — 5/15/2021 Share (Animation  Not Available this format) media captionAn animation shows how the Zhurong rover touched down China has successfully landed a spacecraft on Mars, state media announced early on Saturday. The six-wheeled Zhurong robot…

[entertainmentnerdly]

Chinese Mars Lander - Zhurong Will Attempt to Land on the Red Planet May 17 via /r/space https://ift.tt/3vB7CfM

[focusonthegoodnews]

China lands on Mars in major advance for its space ambitions

China lands on Mars in major advance for its space ambitions

Good News Notes: “China landed a spacecraft on Mars for the first time on Saturday, a technically challenging feat more difficult than a moon landing, in the latest step forward for its ambitious goals in space. Plans call for a rover to stay in the lander for a few days of diagnostic tests before rolling down a ramp to explore an area of Mars known as Utopia Planitia. It will join an American…

[rocks-in-space]

Just enough space to fit all successful Mars landers and rovers!

(Sorry Ingenuity helicopter; I do really love your name though!)

[just--space]

Utopia on Mars : Expansive Utopia Planitia on Mars is strewn with rocks and boulders in this 1976 image. Constructed from the Viking 2 lander's color and black and white image data, the scene approximates the appearance of the high northern martian plain to the human eye. For scale, the prominent rounded rock near center is about 20 centimeters (just under 8 inches) across. Farther back on the right side of the frame the a dark angular boulder spans about 1.5 meters (5 feet). Also in view are two trenches dug by the lander's sampler arm, the ejected protective shroud that covered the soil collector head, and one of the lander's dust covered footpads at the lower right. On May 14, China’s Zhurong Mars rover successfully touchdown on Mars and has returned the first images of` its landing site in Utopia Planitia. via NASA

[therealuniverse]

The HiRISE camera, orbiting Mars for the last 15 years or so, captured this incredible view of the Tianwen-1 lander and Zhurong rover on the surface of Mars. At the time this image was taken on the 6th of June, the rover had moved 22 meters from the lander. -JBB Image credit: https://www.uahirise.org/ESP_069665_2055

[apod]

2021 May 21

Utopia on Mars Image Credit: NASA, The Viking Project, M. Dale-Bannister (Washington University)

Explanation: Expansive Utopia Planitia on Mars is strewn with rocks and boulders in this 1976 image. Constructed from the Viking 2 lander's color and black and white image data, the scene approximates the appearance of the high northern martian plain to the human eye. For scale, the prominent rounded rock near center is about 20 centimeters (just under 8 inches) across. Farther back on the right side of the frame the a dark angular boulder spans about 1.5 meters (5 feet). Also in view are two trenches dug by the lander's sampler arm, the ejected protective shroud that covered the soil collector head, and one of the lander's dust covered footpads at the lower right. On May 14, China’s Zhurong Mars rover successfully touchdown on Mars and has returned the first images of` its landing site in Utopia Planitia.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210521.html

[stevebattle]

Zhurong is China's first Mars rover as part of the Chinese Tianwen-1 mission to Mars (2020). It landed on Mars on May 14th 2021 and Zhurong was successfully deployed on May 22nd. Zhurong is named after a Chinese mythical figure associated with fire and light. Its mission is to study the topography and geology of the area, examine the soil, and any ice content, to survey the elements, minerals, rocks and sample the atmosphere. This photo was taken by a wireless camera that the Zhurong rover placed 10m away from the lander displaying the Chinese flag.

[oriocookie]

hey drew, china just landed their rover, named Zhurong, on mars (launched july 23 2019) like 3 days ago and i just learned that it landed because i have been in the middle of nowhere for exactly 3 days. the reason it just landed was because china hadn't chosen a landing point and was using the orbiter half of the spacecraft to figure it out since around February.

This makes china the second country to successfully land a rover and/or lander (and have it successfully complete tasks and not fail after 110 seconds)!!!!!

Also the rover is named after a god of fire! rather fitting for the cold red planet!!

Zhurong was China's first attempted mars mission which is pretty fucking pog bc it worked perfectly! also it uses solar panels, as opposed to the RTGs (small box of radiation) that NASA switched to after spirit and oppertunity. It may still have an RTG but i havent found a comprehensive breakdown of its equipment yet.

YES SPACE FACTS THANK U CRYP

[captainpotassium]

Utopia on Mars via NASA https://ift.tt/2QECGwc

Expansive Utopia Planitia on Mars is strewn with rocks and boulders in this 1976 image. Constructed from the Viking 2 lander's color and black and white image data, the scene approximates the appearance of the high northern martian plain to the human eye. For scale, the prominent rounded rock near center is about 20 centimeters (just under 8 inches) across. Farther back on the right side of the frame the a dark angular boulder spans about 1.5 meters (5 feet). Also in view are two trenches dug by the lander's sampler arm, the ejected protective shroud that covered the soil collector head, and one of the lander's dust covered footpads at the lower right. On May 14, China’s Zhurong Mars rover successfully touchdown on Mars and has returned the first images of` its landing site in Utopia Planitia.

(Published May 21, 2021)

[sciencespies]

Listen to the eerie noise of China's Mars rover as it sets off to explore

https://sciencespies.com/space/listen-to-the-eerie-noise-of-chinas-mars-rover-as-it-sets-off-to-explore/

Listen to the eerie noise of China's Mars rover as it sets off to explore

China has released video and sound clips from its rover exploring the surface of Mars.

The files were published by China National Space Agency on Sunday.

The sound is of the Zhurong rover leaving its lander before taking its first ride in May, and can be heard in the video below.

[CNSA video 2/4] Sound of #Zhurong Mars rover rolling off from lander to Mars surface. pic.twitter.com/Uh41Yiy1w6

— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) June 27, 2021

The eerie noises are made by the rover moving on the rack, said Jia Yand, deputy chief designer of the Mars rover project

The sound is somewhat muffled, and doesn’t quite sound like what could be expected on Earth.

It could provide clues about the environment and conditions on Mars, including figuring out the density of the atmosphere, according to Jizhong, deputy commander of the exploration program.

Liu said its main purpose is to listen to the wind.

This is not the first sound recording to come back from Mars.

NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed about a month before Zhurong, sent back its first audio recording in February.

Since then, NASA has released more sounds from Mars, including the sounds of the rover driving around and of its laser firing at rocks.

A new Martian panorama, and footage of the rover launding

Since it landed in May, the rover has moved 236 meters (about 774 ft), CNSA said.

A video shows a 360 degree view caught by the rover’s onboard camera. Its tracks lead to the lander which can be seen in the distance.

Video from Mars taken by #Zhurong #Tianwen1 Mars Rover. New video and images include 3D stereo of supersonic parachute deployment, landing process, sound of the rover driving away from lander, rover maneuver and panorama in a distance from lander. HD Full: https://t.co/q8vGOWUxjG pic.twitter.com/eBUbPnvS81

— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) June 27, 2021

The full 360-degree panorama can be seen here.

Another video, below, shows the rover backing away from a camera that it dumped it on the ground to take a selfie with its lander platform. It can be seen rotating in place, showing that it is in good working condition, the China National Space Agency (CNSA) said.

[CNSA video 3/4] Video of #Zhurong Mars rover moving backwards. pic.twitter.com/uTcCHud03b

— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) June 27, 2021

One last video released on Sunday shows the rover’s landing in May, including the deployment of its parachute and the moment it touched down.

[CNSA video 1/4] 3D stereo view of deployment of #Zhurong‘s supersonic parachute. pic.twitter.com/m5dTgHIu79

— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) June 27, 2021

The rover is expected to remain active around another 48 days.

During its mission, it is meant to be analyzing the chemical make-up of Martian soil and looking for signs of water on the Utopia Planitia region where it landed, Insider’s Aylin Woodward reported on May 22.

This article was originally published by Business Insider.

More from Business Insider:

#Space

[entertainmentnerdly]

China's Zhurong rover descends off lander to start journey on Mars via /r/space https://ift.tt/3bKoJnR