Robot model
Zhurong Rover
China's first Mars rover (Tianwen-1; landed Utopia Planitia 2021-05-14, drove off 2021-05-22).
- Manufacturer
- China National Space Administration
- Form factor
- space
- Maturity
- research
- Lifecycle
- discontinued
- Deployments
- 1
discontinuedDiscontinued. The product or service is no longer actively pursued by the maker.
Overview
China's first Mars rover (Tianwen-1; landed Utopia Planitia 2021-05-14, drove off 2021-05-22). Operated by ground command with twin-rover path rehearsal on Earth; no autonomous hazard-avoidance system is documented in available sources (verified-vs-claimed: do not overstate as autonomous). Entered planned hibernation 2022-05-18 and never re-established contact (solar-panel dust suspected); presumed lost.
Verified vs. claimed
- Maturity stage
- research(Lab-stage only; no commercial or public deployment reported.)
- Verified deployments
- 1 deployment on file
- Sources on file
- 2 sources, view all
Key facts
Type
Landed
Specs
Role
Landed
Status
Autonomy
Weight kg
Data & sources
Web sources
2
2 sources backing this record.View all →
Pricing
No verified price is on record for Zhurong Rover. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.
Deployments (1)
The Zhurong rover was deployed to Utopia Planitia on Mars as part of China's Tianwen-1 mission, operated by the China National Space Administration.
Zhurong Rover on the deployment map
Where Zhurong Rover is verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Verified media addedVerifiedJun 11, 2026
Zhurong Landing on Mars: Onboard Camera View
- Record createdJun 6, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedMay 22, 2021
at Mars
Safety record
No incidents on record for Zhurong Rover.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Sources (2)
Common questions
- What is Zhurong Rover?
- China's first Mars rover (Tianwen-1; landed Utopia Planitia 2021-05-14, drove off 2021-05-22). Operated by ground command with twin-rover path rehearsal on Earth; no autonomous hazard-avoidance system is documented in available sources (verified-vs-claimed: do not overstate as autonomous). Entered planned hibernation 2022-05-18 and never re-established contact (solar-panel dust suspected); presumed lost.
- How much does Zhurong Rover cost?
- Zhurong Rover's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for Zhurong Rover from China National Space Administration. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
- Is Zhurong Rover actually deployed in the real world?
- Yes. Zhurong Rover is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.
- Who makes Zhurong Rover?
- Zhurong Rover is made by China National Space Administration, based in Beijing, China, founded in 1993.
- Where is Zhurong Rover deployed?
- 1 verified deployment of Zhurong Rover is on the DEPLOY registry, including at Mars.
- Can you buy Zhurong Rover?
- Zhurong Rover is discontinued and no longer sold; its historical record remains on the DEPLOY registry.
- What are alternatives to Zhurong Rover?
- On the DEPLOY registry, comparable space robots to Zhurong Rover include Chang'e Lander, Mira, W-Series Capsule, Astrobee.
- How does Zhurong Rover compare to Chang'e Lander?
- Zhurong Rover and Chang'e Lander (China National Space Administration · 4 deployments) are both space robots on the DEPLOY registry. Zhurong Rover has 1 verified deployment on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
- Is Zhurong Rover a top space?
- On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, Zhurong Rover ranks in roughly the top 44% of space models tracked by the registry.
- What is Zhurong Rover's maturity stage?
- Zhurong Rover is at the research stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Research stage means active development without commercial deployments on file.
- Is Zhurong Rover still being made?
- Zhurong Rover is discontinued: the product line is permanently ceased; historical records remain on the registry.
- Is Zhurong Rover safe?
- Zhurong Rover has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
- What is the Zhurong Mars rover?
- Zhurong is China's first Mars rover, landed as part of the Tianwen-1 mission. It is the country's first rover to land on another planet after previously landing two rovers on the Moon. Tianwen-1 translates to 'questions to heaven' or 'questioning the heavens.'
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-15
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-07-15
Maturity + lifecycle
Maturity stage: research
Lifecycle: discontinued
Architectural position
Cohort: space
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- knowledge-base
- Knowledge base
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Zhurong Rover.Recent coverage
Zhurong Rover in third-party press
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Zhurong Rover from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /models/zhurong-rover.md
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/models/88497e12-ad13-4e28-95d9-088e78deb92e
- Revision history: /models/zhurong-rover/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Video
China has become a great competitor to the United States in space. Over the last several years, the country has executed a number of milestones including launch
Explore China's ambitious space program and its impact on global power dynamics. From historical origins at Caltech to leading-edge missions, discover how China
China plans to send a flying robot to the Moon's south pole to explore potential water reserves, marking a new milestone in space exploration. #china #beijing
Secretly China has launched a secret robot to the far side of the moon Reports of China launching a secret robot to the far side of the moon have surfaced, spa
Reality vs attention
Zhurong Rover draws attention at the 54th percentile but verifies reality at the 28th percentile among space robots. Hype Gap +26.1, 7th widest among space robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Thin deployment record; scale validation still in progress.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Jul 21, 2026