China has released video and sound clips from its rover exploring the surface of Mars.
The files were published by China National Space Agency on Sunday.
The sound is of the Zhurong rover leaving its lander before taking its first ride in May, and can be heard in the video below.
[CNSA video 2/4] Sound of #Zhurong Mars rover rolling off from lander to Mars surface. pic.twitter.com/Uh41Yiy1w6
— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) June 27, 2021
The eerie noises are made by the rover moving on the rack, said Jia Yand, deputy chief designer of the Mars rover project
The sound is somewhat muffled, and doesn’t quite sound like what could be expected on Earth.
It could provide clues about the environment and conditions on Mars, including figuring out the density of the atmosphere, according to Jizhong, deputy commander of the exploration program.
Liu said its main purpose is to listen to the wind.
This is not the first sound recording to come back from Mars.
NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed about a month before Zhurong, sent back its first audio recording in February.
Since then, NASA has released more sounds from Mars, including the sounds of the rover driving around and of its laser firing at rocks.
A new Martian panorama, and footage of the rover launding
Since it landed in May, the rover has moved 236 meters (about 774 ft), CNSA said.
A video shows a 360 degree view caught by the rover’s onboard camera. Its tracks lead to the lander which can be seen in the distance.
Video from Mars taken by #Zhurong #Tianwen1 Mars Rover. New video and images include 3D stereo of supersonic parachute deployment, landing process, sound of the rover driving away from lander, rover maneuver and panorama in a distance from lander. HD Full: https://t.co/q8vGOWUxjG pic.twitter.com/eBUbPnvS81
— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) June 27, 2021
The full 360-degree panorama can be seen here.
Another video, below, shows the rover backing away from a camera that it dumped it on the ground to take a selfie with its lander platform. It can be seen rotating in place, showing that it is in good working condition, the China National Space Agency (CNSA) said.
[CNSA video 3/4] Video of #Zhurong Mars rover moving backwards. pic.twitter.com/uTcCHud03b
— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) June 27, 2021
One last video released on Sunday shows the rover’s landing in May, including the deployment of its parachute and the moment it touched down.
[CNSA video 1/4] 3D stereo view of deployment of #Zhurong‘s supersonic parachute. pic.twitter.com/m5dTgHIu79
— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) June 27, 2021
The rover is expected to remain active around another 48 days.
During its mission, it is meant to be analyzing the chemical make-up of Martian soil and looking for signs of water on the Utopia Planitia region where it landed, Insider’s Aylin Woodward reported on May 22.
This article was originally published by Business Insider.
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