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China is holding a 40-day public vote to assist choose the title for its Mars rover which is presently closing in on the Purple Planet.
The general public can now vote for his or her favorites from a shortlist of 10 names for the Tianwen-1 mission rover.
The 10 names — Hongyi, Qilin, Nezha, Chitu, Zhurong, Qiusuo, Fenghuolun, Zhuimeng, Tianxing and Xinghuo — are taken from concepts together with Chinese language mythological figures, Confucian ideas and legendary animals.
Associated: China’s Tianwen-1 Mars mission in photos
Notably Hongyi, from the Confucian Analects, might be translated to “persistence” or perseverance, giving an identical which means to the NASA Perseverance rover additionally heading for Mars. Others meanings embody:
- Zhurong: a god of fireside
- Qilin: a Chinese language unicorn
- Chitu: purple rabbit
- Qiusuo: to discover, referencing an historical poem
- Zhuimeng: to pursue a dream
- Nezha: a mythological hero
- Fenghuolun: Nezha’s weapons
- Tianxing: referring to the movement of celestial our bodies
- Xinghuo: spark
The Lunar Exploration and Area Engineering Middle belonging to the China Nationwide Area Administration (CNSA) introduced the shortlist on Jan. 18 after soliciting recommendations after the mission launched in July final 12 months.
China’s Tianwen-1 mission consists of each an orbiter and a rover, and the spacecraft are attributable to enter orbit round Mars on Feb. 10.
The rover won’t try its touchdown till round Might. The orbiter will picture the landing site and decide the situations on the bottom in preparation for the touchdown.
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If it lands efficiently the roughly 530-lb. (240 kilograms) solar-powered rover will examine the floor soil traits and potential water-ice distribution with its Subsurface Exploration Radar instrument. The rover additionally carries panoramic and multispectral cameras and devices to investigate the composition of rocks.
The Tianwen-1 mission and the possibility to call the rover have generated a good quantity of consideration.
“Greater than 1.four million entries have been acquired from 38 international locations and areas since we initiated the naming marketing campaign in July 2020. Over 200,00zero of them are eligible. The netizens’ energetic participation exhibits their nice look after the Mars mission,” Yuan Foyu, director of the naming marketing campaign for China’s first Mars rover, informed CCTV.
The vote is being hosted by Chinese language web big Baidu with a deadline of Feb. 28. Judges will then deliberate and announce a last title someday earlier than the touchdown.
Tianwen-1 is China’s first impartial interplanetary mission and it additionally attracts its title from historical past, with “Tianwen” which means “Heavenly Questions” or “Inquiries to Heaven,” being taken from a poem written by Qu Yuan (round 340-278 BCE).
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