I-China ifike ku-Mars

NguJoey RouletteKubuyekeziweMeyi 14, 2021, 8:50pm EDT

I-China ithole amarobhothi ayo okuqala e-Mars ngoLwesihlanu, abezindaba abasebenzisana nohulumenikuqinisekisiweezinkundleni zokuxhumana, libe yizwe lesibili ukwenza kanjalo ngempumelelo ngemva kokunqoba ukulandelana kokufika kwesibindi, okuyimizuzu eyisikhombisa.Umkhumbi-mkhathi wezwe i-Tianwen-1 ukhiphe inqwaba ye-rover-lander ukuze uthinte i-Martian cishe ngo-7PM ET, waqala umkhankaso wokutadisha isimo sezulu ne-geology ye-Red Planet.

Lo mkhankaso uphawula uhambo lokuqala oluzimele lwaseChina oluya ku-Mars, cishe amamayela ayizigidi ezingama-200 ukusuka eMhlabeni.I-NASA kuphela ekwazile ngempumelelo ukuhlala nokusebenzisa ama-rover emhlabeni esikhathini esidlule.(Imikhumbi-mkhathi yeSoviet Union iMars 3 yahlala emhlabeni ngo-1971 futhi yaxhumana cishe imizuzwana engu-20 ngaphambi kokuba kube mnyama ngokungalindelekile.) Umsebenzi waseChina, ohilela imikhumbi-mkhathi emithathu esebenza ndawonye, ​​uyinkimbinkimbi ngendlela exakile ukuze uthole umuntu oqala ngqa—umkhankaso wokuqala wase-US, iViking 1. ngo-1976, kwakuhilela kuphela umnikazi wendawo othunyelwe kusukela kuphenyo lwayo.

Lokhu kuhlala kwenzeka e-Utopia Planitia, indawo eyisicaba yezwe laseMartian kanye nendawo efanayo lapho umshayeli we-Viking 2 we-NASA afika khona ngo-1976. Ngemva kokuthinta phansi, umnikazi wendawo uzovula irempu futhi athumele i-Zhurong rover yaseChina, i-solar enamasondo ayisithupha- irobhothi elinamandla eliqanjwe ngonkulunkulu womlilo ezinganekwaneni zasendulo zamaShayina.I-rover iphethe uchungechunge lwamathuluzi angaphakathi, okuhlanganisa amakhamera amabili, i-Mars-Rover Subsurface Exploration Radar, i-Mars Magnetic Field Detector, ne-Mars Meteorology Monitor.

Umkhumbi-mkhathi i-Tianwen-1 wethulwa endaweni Yokwethulwa Kwemikhumbi-mkhathi i-Wenchang esifundazweni sase-China sase-Hainan ngoJulayi 23 ngonyaka odlule, waqala uhambo lwezinyanga eziyisikhombisa ukuya e-Red Planet.Imikhumbi-mkhathi emithathu "isebenze ngokujwayelekile" kusukela yangena emzileni we-Mars ngoFebhuwari, kusho abeChina National Space Administration (CNSA) esitatimendeni ngoLwesihlanu ekuseni.Yaqoqa “inani elikhulu” lokwaziswa okungokwesayensi futhi yathwebula izithombe ze-Mars ngenkathi isendleleni yayo.

Isithombe ngu-Wang Zhao / AFP nge-Getty Images

I-orbiter ye-Tianwen-1, ebambe inqwaba ye-rover-lander, isineminyaka engaphezu kwezinyanga ezintathu ihlola indawo yokuhlala i-Utopia Planitia, indizela eduze kwe-Mars njalo emahoreni angu-49 i-elliptical orbit (iphethini ye-orbital emise okweqanda), ngokushoAndrew Jones, intatheli ebika ngemisebenzi yaseChina emkhathini.

Manje endaweni yaseMartian, i-Zhurong rover izoqala umkhankaso okungenani wezinyanga ezintathu wokutadisha isimo sezulu nesayensi yokwakheka kweMars.

"Umsebenzi omkhulu we-Tianwen-1 ukwenza ucwaningo lomhlaba wonke nolubanzi lwayo yonke iplanethi kusetshenziswa i-orbiter, kanye nokuthumela i-rover ezindaweni ezithakaselwa yisayensi ukuze yenze uphenyo oluningiliziwe ngokunemba okukhulu nangesinqumo," ososayensi abaphezulu bemishini.wabhala kuI-Nature Astronomyngonyaka odlule.I-rover elinganiselwa ku-240kg icishe iphindwe kabili kunesisindo sama-Yutu Moon rover yaseChina.

I-Tianwen-1 yigama layo yonke i-Mars mission, eqanjwe ngenkondlo ende ethi “Tianwen,” okusho ukuthi “Imibuzo Eya Ezulwini.”Kuphawula okwakamuva ngokulandelana okusheshayo kwenqubekelaphambili ekuhloleni indawo yaseChina.Izwe libe yisizwe sokuqala emlandweni ukubasebenzisa i-roverohlangothini olukude lweNyanga ngo-2019. Iphinde yaqeda aisampula ye-mission emfushane yenyangangoDisemba wonyaka odlule, yethula irobhothi eNyangeni futhi ilibuyisela ngokushesha eMhlabeni nenqolobane yamadwala eNyanga ukuze lihlolwe.

 Isithombe nge-STR / AFP nge-Getty Images

Muva nje, i-China yethule imojula yokuqala engumongo wesiteshi sayo sasemkhathini esihleliwe, i-Tianhe, esizoba yindawo yokuhlala yamaqembu osomkhathi.Irokhethi eyethula leyo moduli yaveza iisiphithiphithi samazwe ngamazwephezu kwalapho eMhlabeni ingase iphinde ingene khona.(Ekugcineniingene kabushaphezu koLwandlekazi i-Indian, futhi izingcezu ezinkulu zerokhethi zasakazeka phansi cishe amakhilomitha angama-30 ukusuka esiqhingini esiseMaldives, kusho uhulumeni waseChina.)

Naphezu kwalolu hambo oluya ku-Mars olunamarobhothi amathathu amathathu, ukugxila kwe-China kubonakala kugxile eNyangeni - indawo efanayo yohlelo lwe-NASA lwe-Artemis.Ngasekuqaleni kwalo nyaka, Chinaizinhlelo ezimenyezelweukwakha isiteshi sasemkhathini senyanga futhi sisekelwe endaweni yeNyanga neRussia, uzakwethu we-NASA wesikhathi eside ku-International Space Station.