China’s space agency releases high-resolution images of Mars captured from Tianwen-1 probe

China’s space agency on Thursday released high-resolution photos of Mars, captured by Tianwen-1 probe that is currently orbiting the Red planet. Three photos were released that includes one colour image and two panchromatic view images, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

The panchromatic images were captured by the high-resolution camera of China’s Tianwen-1 probe at a distance of 330 to 350 km above the surface of Mars. 

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Martian landforms such as small craters, mountain ridges, and dunes are clearly visible in the images, while it is estimated that the diameter of the largest impact crater in the images is around 620 meters, China’s Xinhua agency said, quoting CNSA. 

The Tianwen-1 probe, consisting of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover, was launched on July 23, 2020, and it entered the orbit around Mars on February 24. The probe has flown for 224 days for about 475 million km. The CNSA said that the Tianwen-1 is currently nearly 212 million km away from Earth.

The Tianwen-1, which entered its pre-set parkit orbit above Mars on February 24, will fly in the orbit for three months before releasing its landing capsule.

The ultimate aim of Tianwen-1 is to land a rover on the southern part of Mars’ Utopia Planitia – a large plain within Utopia, the largest recognised impact basin in the solar system – by May or June to conduct scientific surveys, state-run China Daily reported.

The probe’s rover, not named yet, weighs around 240 kgs and has six wheels, four solar panels and can move 200 meters per hour on Mars. It carries six scientific instruments including multispectral camera, ground-penetrating radar and meteorological measurer, and is expected to work about three months on the planet.

Spacecraft of UAE, US and China have recently entered the Mars orbit. NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars on February 18 after almost seven months travelling from Earth.

Since then, it has sent back some striking images from around its landing site, Jezero Crater.

The UAE orbiter named Hope will study the Martian atmosphere and climate.

Previously US, Russia, EU besides India have succeeded in sending spacecraft to Mars regarded as the most complex space mission. India became the first Asian country to have successfully launched its Mars orbiter mission Mangalyaan which entered the orbit of the red planet in 2014.

India also became the first country to have entered the Martian orbit in its first attempt.