China becomes 2nd country to drive rover on Mars

China's remote-controlled Zhurong rover drove down the ramp of its landing capsule and onto the Martian surface, Beijing's space administration said Saturday, making China the second country after the United States to successfully deploy a land vehicle on the Red Planet.

Zhurong touched down last week and underwent diagnostics tests for several days before joining U.S. rovers Curiosity and Perseverance in simultaneous, but separate explorations of Mars.

The rover, which sent its first round of images back to Earth earlier this week, is expected to be deployed for 90 days, during which it will study Mars' surface and atmosphere. Read more at NPR and NBC News

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.