Tianwen-1 / Zhurong
ActiveLaunched in 2020·Mars orbit & surface
China's first successful interplanetary mission: an orbiter plus the Zhurong rover, landed in 2021 on Utopia Planitia.
Main objectives
- Orbit and explore Mars with an orbiter (Tianwen-1).
- Deploy and operate the Zhurong rover on Utopia Planitia.
- Map the Martian surface and environment for CNSA.
Did you know?
Tianwen-1 means "questions to heaven," after a poem by Qu Yuan, 3rd century BCE.
Timeline
Jul 23, 2020
Launch
Long March 5 from Wenchang.
May 14, 2021
Zhurong landing
China's first rover on Mars.
Tianwen-1 / Zhurong
Instruments
[06]Discoveries
[05]- DiscoveryMajorAncient ocean and coastal deposits at UtopiaFeb 24, 2025People's Daily ↗
- DiscoveryBreakthroughModern liquid water at low latitudesApr 28, 2023Science Advances ↗
- DiscoveryMajorLayered subsurface of Utopia revealed by radarSep 26, 2022Nature ↗
- DiscoveryMajorHydrated minerals and recent aqueous activityMay 11, 2022Science Advances ↗
- MilestoneNotableZhurong in prolonged dormancyApr 25, 2023Al Jazeera ↗
Mission milestones
[04]- MilestoneChina's first landing on MarsMay 15, 2021 ↗
- MilestoneChina's first rover on MarsMay 14, 2021 ↗
- MilestoneZhurong landingMay 14, 2021
- MilestoneLaunchJul 23, 2020