Electronics and Electrical Engineering and Control

Sun sensor designed and qualified for “Zhurong” Mars rover

  • Jianfu ZHANG ,
  • Liansheng LI ,
  • Jianxin CHEN ,
  • Ye CHANG ,
  • Lu YIN ,
  • Xing HAN
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  • Beijing Institute of Control Engineering,Beijing 100190,China
E-mail: zjf9965@sina.com

Received date: 2024-06-28

  Revised date: 2024-09-01

  Accepted date: 2024-10-18

  Online published: 2024-11-07

Abstract

When the Mars rover patrols the surface of Mars, it is necessary to measure the azimuth in the forward direction. The “Tianwen-1” Mars rover “Zhurong” has used a sun sensor to measure the azimuth of the rover. The solar intensity and irradiance on the Martian surface are low and complex, and dust is scattered in the Martian atmosphere and land surface. When the sun sensor is applied on the Martian surface, it will face a special environment of complex light intensity and dust. To ensure the safety of “Zhurong” Mars rover’s movement on the Mars surface, the sun sensor has been designed with adaptive light intensity and dust proof, and verification experiments have been carried out on the Earth surface. This sun sensor has been successfully applied to the “Tianwen-1” Mars rover “Zhurong”. The Mars rover has been working well in orbit throughout its entire lifespan, effectively ensuring the navigation needs of the rover.

Cite this article

Jianfu ZHANG , Liansheng LI , Jianxin CHEN , Ye CHANG , Lu YIN , Xing HAN . Sun sensor designed and qualified for “Zhurong” Mars rover[J]. ACTA AERONAUTICAET ASTRONAUTICA SINICA, 2025 , 46(7) : 330882 -330882 . DOI: 10.7527/S1000-6893.2024.30882

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