3 candidate names for China's Mars rover come out

Three possible names for China’s first Mars rover have come out after a 40-day global online poll.

“Zhurong (祝融),” a fire god in ancient Chinese mythology, tops the list while “Nezha (哪吒),” a beloved Chinese mythological figure, and “Hongyi (弘毅),” which means having a broad and strong mind in Chinese, ranked second and third.

The China National Space Administration in January unveiled a list of 10 selections for the name after a global naming campaign that kicked off in late July 2020. Netizens at home and abroad were invited to vote on 10 candidates from January 20 to February 28.

A panel of experts will also vote for the final candidates. The administration will decide the top three names based on public voting and expert opinions.