China's Zhurong Mars Rover Stays Stationary During Winter Hibernation

China's first Mars rover, Zhurong, has not moved since September, according to NASA imagery released last month. Zhurong went into hibernation on May 18, 2022, to survive Mars' harsh winter and was expected to wake up around December. The rover remains stationary due to sand and dust covering its solar panels, which reduces its ability to transform sunlight into electricity. Chinese scientists are waiting for a signal from the rover, and sandstorms have hampered its ability to generate power. Zhurong's mission objectives include searching for evidence of water on Mars and investigating the planet's surface composition, regolith characteristics, and water-ice distribution. The rover is considered to have fulfilled its mission with an expected lifespan of 90 days. This is not the first time Zhurong has gone quiet; it lost contact with Earth for a month during a solar conjunction in October 2021. The China National Space Administration has not released any information on the current status of the rover. Join us on the Space News Pod to stay up-to-date with the latest space-related news and information.