While the space race of countries continues unabated, China and the USA are at the top of this race. As part of the mission Tianwen-1, China sent an orbiter and a surface rover named Zhurong to Mars. These vehicles have successfully reached their targets in the past months and registered China as the second country to reach Mars.
These vehicles, which have been circulating in Mars orbit and surface for months, were sending new information and photos about the Red Planet to Earth. Now, the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) has shared some images taken by Tianwen-1, which continues its research in the orbit of the planet, and Zhurong on the surface with the whole world.
Orbiter takes ‘selfie’
In the photographs sent by the instruments, we encounter eye-catching images of the planet’s surface and orbit. In addition, it is stated by the authorities that Tianwen-1 is located on the north pole of the planet, and that it can take a picture of itself by releasing a special camera on it into space. In addition, in the posts shared on Twitter by a journalist named Andrew Jones, it can be seen that this camera is floating in the vacuum of space to take pictures. Let’s take a look at the other images shared by the CNSA.
‘Cover of Ice’
In this image, the spacecraft can be seen passing over the region defined by the Chinese Space Agency as the ‘ice cover’ of the Red Planet.
A photograph taken from the planet’s surface
Another photo released by the CNSA included a photo taken by the Zhurong rover on the planet’s surface. It was among the statements that this vehicle, which has been exploring on Mars for 225 days and traveling thousands of meters, took this photo in the past months.
China, which is fighting with the USA in the space race, is considering bringing soil samples from Mars to Earth in 2030 with the help of Zhurong and Tianwen-1 vehicles and performing manned missions in the early 2030s. In addition, it is stated by the authorities that within the scope of the Tianwen-1 mission, the vehicles continue their research on the presence of water on the surface of the planet without slowing down.
16275
