There are three rovers right now studying Mars. Two of them, Perseverance and Curiosity, are from United States while Zhurong Rover is from China which makes it the first non-american rover to land on Mars. In this article we will analyze the differences between the Perseverance rover and Zhurong Rover.
A surprising number of people are calling for an epic fight between the Zhurong lander and Perseverance on social media. Many of them used social media - from Facebook, Twitter,
and Reddit - to express their support for the contest.
The new neighbors share a goal of studying the red planet, but asaide from that, Perseverance and Zhurong have more differences than they have in common.
Landing site
Perseverance landed in an impact crater called Jezero Crater. Jezero Crater is 28 miles (45 kilometers) wide, and is located on the western edge of a flat plain called Isidis Planitia, which lies just north of the Martian equat. It was chosen for what’s thought to be the dry remains of an ancient river, where samples may show evidence of ancient, where samples may show evidence of ancient life. Zhurong landed in Utopia Planitia, where NASA’s Viking 2 landed in 1976. It’s a flat plain that may be easier for the rover to navigate, and there’s evidence of water ice under the surface.
Landing technology
The two rovers had very different trips to the surface.. At the end of Perseverance’s “seven minutes of terror” fall from orbit, it was carried by the rocket powered skycrane. The hovering craft gently placed perseverance on the surface.
Zhurong had no such luxury. Once the parachutes and shield used in its initial fall were discarded, its final dexcent was guided by a rocket.
Size
Size definitely matters. At 10 feet long, nine feet wide, and seven feet tall, Perseverance is nearly the length of a Mini Cooper, though considerably wider and taller. It weighs 2260 pounds. Zhurong is smaller, at eight feet long, 10 feet wide, and six feet tall weighing 530 pounds. That makes it about the size of NASA’s spirit and Opportunity rovers, launched in 2003.
Speed
Unfortunately, both rovers are so sluggish that they could make Usain Bolt look like a sloth - but one is quicker than the other. According to Space.com, Perseverance has a peak speed of.01 miles per hour. That's obviously not very fast, particularly considering Ingenuity can travel at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Zhurong, on the other hand, moves at a breakneck pace of 12 mph as the speed limit. In comparison to Perseverance, that's lightning-fast. If we exclude Ingenuity from the equation, Chinese Rover emerges victorious.
Battery
The two rovers are different also on the battery. Perseverance uses a plutonium - based nuclear power source. Along with providing power, the decaying plutonium helps to keep Perseverance warm on cold Martian nights. Zhurong gets its power from folding solar panels just as Spirit and Opportunity did. That ultimately spelled the end for Opportunity when a dust storm cut off its power source.
Signature tools
Perseverance will use a drill and robotic arm to collect Martian rock samples, then store them for later transport to Earth. Scientists hope to analyze the samples for signs of ancient microbial life.
The ingenuity helicopter has also shown that powered flight on Mars is possible and repeatable. Zhurong will use a ground- penetrating radar to search for water ice more than 300 feet below the surface. That’s 10 times deeper than Perseverance’s radar can see.