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01:20
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Sunday released new videos and photos taken by the country’s first Mars probe, Tianwen-1, during its descent and roving exploration on the Red Planet.
The Tianwen-1 mission was launched on July 23, 2020.
On May 15, 2021, the rover finally landed in the southern part of Utopia Planitia, a vast plain in the northern hemisphere of Mars. A week later, the Zhurong rover began exploring the Red Planet, making China the second country after the United States to land and operate a rover on Mars.
On Sunday, four videos were released for the first time. The first, captured on May 15, recorded the landing and landing of the lander and rover. The second image showed the rover descending from its landing pad to the surface of Mars on May 22. Two other clips, filmed on June 1, recorded the rover as it roamed and took pictures next to the probe.
This is the first time that videos of the probe’s movements have been seen on the surface of Mars.
On June 16, the rover made a comprehensive assessment of its surroundings to plan its paths for subsequent scientific exploration.
Panoramic view of the landing site. / CNSA
Panoramic view of the landing site. / CNSA
The image released by CNSA captured by Zhurong’s rear-view camera captured its tracks on the surface of Mars.
Wheel tracks left by the Zhurong rover on Mars. / CNSA
Wheel tracks left by the Zhurong rover on Mars. / CNSA
So far, the Tianwen-1 mission has been in space for 338 days. The Zhurong rover has been operating for 42 days on Mars – one Mars day equals one day 37 minutes on Earth – and has traveled a total of 236 meters on the Red Planet.
Both the orbiter and the rover are in good working conditions, the agency said.
Zhurong will continue its missions of movement, detection, and scientific exploration as planned. Meanwhile, the orbiter will continue to operate in a relay orbit, providing relay communications for the craft’s scientific exploration while it makes its own scientific detections.
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