Stunning photos came from China’s spacecraft on Mars
The China National Space Agency (CNSA) has released new photos taken by the Mars-orbiting spacecraft Tianwen 1 and Zhurong on the surface.
Some of the photos host stunning images from the surface of the Red Planet. Other selfie photos show Tianwen-1 in action over the planet’s north pole.
It was reported that the orbiter released a special camera on it into space and took its own photo like this. Lost in the depths of space, the camera went on a “one-way” journey.
Journalist Andrew Jones, who follows China’s space program, shared the moving image of the moments when the camera moved away from the orbiter with the following note on his Twitter account:
At this point, the camera is said to be rolling into deep space.
And here's said camera tumbling off into deep space… [CNSA/PEC] pic.twitter.com/BqKm8Y6KpT
— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) January 1, 2022
In two of the images, the golden spacecraft flies over the bright white patches on the Martian surface, which the CNSA describes as the ice cap.
A statement published on the agency’s website on Saturday said, “The vehicle’s solar panels and radar antennas are in good condition.”
In the third photo taken from Mars orbit, but without the spacecraft, the striking ice cover of the Red Planet was revealed.
Among the photos released by the agency was an image taken directly on the surface of Mars. This image was captured last year by the Zhurong ground vehicle on the surface of the Red Planet.
Zhurong, meaning “Fire God” in Chinese, has now spent 225 days on the Red Planet. Thus, the spacecraft far exceeded its projected three-month life expectancy.
The ground vehicle arrived on Mars in the Tianwen 1 orbiter and landed on the surface in May.
Tianwen 1 arrived on Mars in February last year to study the planet’s geology and atmosphere, as well as investigate the presence of water on the surface.
South China Morning Post, Russia Today
