China lands its Zhurong rover on Mars Well--done China Congratulations China and CANS China has successfully landed a spacecraft on Mars, early on Saturday. The six-wheeled Zhurong robot was targeting Utopia Planitia, a vast terrain in the planet's northern hemisphere. The vehicle used a combination of a protective capsule, a parachute and a rocket platform to make the descent. The successful touchdown is a remarkable achievement, given the difficult nature of the task. Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated the mission team's "outstanding achievement" in a special message. "You were brave enough for the challenge, pursued excellence and placed our country in the advanced ranks of planetary exploration," he said.