China's Zhurong rover has beamed back a vast panorama of Mars in celebration of its first 100 days on the planet – prior to it entering 'safe mode' later this month.
The stunning 360-degree view of Zhurong's vantage point on Mars, released by China National Space Administration (CNSA), shows the rover's solar arrays and antenna in front of the dusty red Martian soil.
Zhurong successfully touched down on Utopia Planitia, a vast northern lava plain on Mars, just after midnight on May 15 BST, after it spent about three months orbiting the planet.
It blasted off from Earth in July 2020, tucked in the belly of China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft – which entered Martian orbit in February – and has covered 3,491 feet (1,064 meters) since it first touched Martian ground on May 22.
But after 100 days, Zhurong and its Tianwen-1 will enter 'safe mode' from mid-September to the end of October due to an upcoming solar conjunction this autumn, which will prevent communications between the rover and Earth.
Eagle-eye viewers will notice a small dot above the tip of Zhurong's antenna in the distance, which is the remnants of its landing gear
The stunning 360-degree view of Zhurong's vantage point on Mars shows the rover's solar arrays and antenna amid the dusty red soil. Zhurong is surveying Utopia Planitia - a large plain in the planet's northern hemisphere - for signs of water or ice that could lend clues as to whether Mars ever sustained life
Solar conjunction occurs when a planet or other object in the solar system (in this case Mars) is on the opposite side of the Sun from the Earth.
Since its landing and deployment, Zhurong has steadily made a southwards journey driven 1,064 meters south from its landing point, towards a shoreline of an ancient 'ocean' to obtain scientific data.
The solar-panel-powered robot sports a number of cameras for imaging the Martian landscape, along with six scientific instruments for measuring climatic conditions, chemical compounds, magnetic fields and radar for looking underground.
Zhurong has been consistently sending back photos and data via the Tianwen-1 orbiter that crosses over it once a day.
Eagle-eyed viewers of the new image will notice a small dot above the tip of Zhurong's antenna in the distance, which is the remnants of its landing gear from May 15.
Image shows the road map of China's Mars rover Zhurong. The rover has worked on Mars' surface for 100 days, and has driven 3,491 feet (1,064 meters) south from its landing point (marked by the red star)
Chinese officials plan to use the rover to analyse Martian soil and atmosphere, capture images, chart maps and look for water and signs of ancient life
CNSA has outlined the temporary shut down due to the solar conjunction in a statement on its website.
'Zhurong, rover of China’s first interplanetary probe mission Tianwen-1, has worked on Mars surface for 100 days as of Monday (August 30), and has driven 1,064 meters south from its landing point,' it said in a statement.
'By mid-to-late September, Earth and Mars will be on opposite sides of the Sun, and the three could be almost in a straight line. The probe will enter the solar transit phase.
'During the transit, the ground-space communication will be cut off due to electromagnetic radiation interference, forcing the orbiter and rover into a safety mode and halt their probe work.'
Zhurong has been surveying Utopia Planitia – a large plain in the planet's northern hemisphere – for signs of water or ice that could lend clues as to whether Mars ever sustained life.
The plain is the largest impact basin in the solar system, with an estimated diameter of 2,050 miles and home to large volumes of underground ice.
Last month, CNSA said Zhurong rover completed its initial 90-day programme on August 15 and was in excellent technical condition and fully charged.
Officials said it would therefore continue to explore Utopia Planitia after its safe mode period has ended.
The six-wheeled 530lb rover has a climate detector, subsurface radar, magnetic field detectors and a camera to capture images and chart maps of the planitia.
At 6 feet (1.85 metres) in height, Zhurong is significantly smaller than the US's Perseverance rover which is exploring the planet with the help of its tiny helicopter, called Ingenuity.
Back in June, Zhurong sent back two 'selfies' to mark its first month on the Red Planet, taken by a remote camera that was dropped into position nearby.
In this image released by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday, June 11, 2021, the Chinese Mars rover Zhurong is seen near its landing platform taken by a remote camera that was dropped into position by the rover
In this image released by the China National Space Administration on June 11 the landing platform with a Chinese national flag and outlines of the mascots for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics on Mars is seen from the rover Zhurong
In the images, Zhurong can be seen with its landing platform in the background adorned with the Chinese flag, from
