China successfully lands Zhurong rover on Mars

China has successfully landed the Zhurong rover on the surface of Mars, according to news reports. After three months of preparations in orbit, the 240-kilogram Zhurong rover touched down on the dunes of southern Utopia Planitia.

Zhurong is equipped with six science payloads, including a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument for analyzing surface elements and minerals, panoramic and multispectral imagers, a climate station, magnetometer and a ground-penetrating radar.

It aims to collect data on water-ice deposits, weather, topography and geology and other science data.

China becomes the second nation to land a rover on the surface of another planet followed by the US.

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