Watch the moment China's Zhurong rover lands on Mars, hear it truckin' for the first time

The China National Space Administration has released videos and pictures of its first Mars rover scooting around on the surface of the Red Planet. Plonking a robot in one piece on Mars is no easy feat. China is only the second Earth nation to successfully pull it off after the United States. The Middle Kingdom's Zhurong rover …

[Potemkine!]

New conspiracy!

The picture is a fake, the shadows of the lander and of the stones on the ground don't go the same direction! It's the proof Mars doesn't exist!

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: New conspiracy!

If it was faked on a film stage in China there would be more wire work fight scenes

[AnotherName]

Second view?

I can understand the rover being filmed as it leaves the ramp and moves away from the lander - the camera is attached somewhere near the base of the ramp. After that there is a view of both the rover and the lander platform from a second point of view. Did the rover go out, plant the camera and then return to the lander for the moving selfie that included the lander?

[steviebuk]

Re: Second view?

Yes. They dropped a wireless camera just for that bit. I assume its not just for show but helps them get a view of the lander as well as the bot.

[Julz]

Re: Second view?

Strangely I concluded the opposite and that it was exactly done for show.

[tip pc]

Re: Second view?

i was wondering exactly the same.

its like watching a something from the 70's or 80's with a second action shot.

you can see the rover heading back towards the lander so yes it dropped the camera then reversed away.

The stereo cameras look like Johnny 5 though.

[John Brown (no body)]

Re: Second view?

As per the article (and the subtitles on the video) "a wireless camera placed on the ground recorded Zhurong slowly truckin' away to explore Mars."

[Flywheel]

That looks remarkably like a human shadow...

.. at 15 seconds onwards. Typical cameraman getting in the way!

[Precordial thump]

Re: That looks remarkably like a human shadow...

CCP has strong feelings about people who stand in front of vehicles with caterpillar-tracks...

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: That looks remarkably like a human shadow...

But they also have much better technology for making them disappear from online images

[Grunchy]

Now do Tiananmen Square

"Footage irretrievably lost".