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China is holding a 40-day public vote to help select the name of its Mars rover which is currently approaching the Red Planet.
The public can now vote for their favorites from a list 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 ideas including Chinese mythological figures, Confucian concepts, and legendary animals.
Related: Photos of China’s Tianwen-1 mission to Mars
Notably Hongyi, from the Confucian Analects, can be translated as “persistence” or perseverance, giving a similar meaning to NASA’s Perseverance rover also heading to Mars. Other meanings include:
- Zhurong: a god of fire
- Qilin: a Chinese unicorn
- Chitu: red rabbit
- Qiusuo: to explore, in reference to an old poem
- Zhuimeng: chasing a dream
- Nezha: a mythological hero
- Fenghuolun: Nezha’s weapons
- Tianxing: referring to the movement of celestial bodies
- Xinghuo: spark
The Center for Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering owned by the National Space Administration of China (CNSA) announced the shortlist on Jan. 18 after asking for suggestions after the mission launched in July last year.
China’s Tianwen-1 mission includes both an orbiter and a rover, and the spacecraft is set to enter orbit around Mars on February 10.
The rover will not attempt a landing until around May. The orbiter will visualize the landing site and determine the ground conditions in preparation for the landing.
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If he lands successfully, approximately 530 lbs. (240 kilograms) solar-powered rover will study surface soil characteristics and the potential distribution of water ice with its underground exploration radar instrument. The rover also carries panoramic and multispectral cameras and instruments to analyze the composition of the rocks.
The Tianwen-1 mission and the possibility of naming the rover received a lot of attention.
“More than 1.4 million applications have been received from 38 countries and regions since we launched the naming campaign in July 2020. Over 200,000 of them are eligible. The active participation of Internet users shows their great care for the mission to Mars, “Yuan Foyu, director of the naming campaign for China’s first rover on Mars, told CCTV.
The vote is being organized by Chinese internet giant Baidu with a deadline of February 28. The judges will then deliberate and announce a final name some time before disembarkation.
Tianwen-1 is China’s first independent interplanetary mission and also takes its name from history, with “Tianwen” meaning “Heavenly Questions” or “Heavenly Questions,” taken from a poem written by Qu Yuan (circa 340 -278 BC).
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