Chinese spacecraft acquires images of entire planet of Mars
An image of Mars taken by China’s Tianwen-1 unmanned probe is seen in this handout image released by China National Space Administration (CNSA) June 29, 2022. CNSA/Handout via REUTERS
BEIJING — An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft has acquired imagery data covering all of Mars, including visuals of its south pole, after circling the planet more than 1,300 times since early last year, state media reported on Wednesday.
China’s Tianwen-1 successfully reached the Red Planet in February 2021 on the country’s inaugural mission there. A robotic rover has since been deployed on the surface as an orbiter surveyed the planet from space.
ADVERTISEMENT
An image of Mars captured by Chinese rover Zhurong of the Tianwen-1 mission is seen in this image released by China National Space Administration (CNSA) June 29, 2022. CNSA/Handout via REUTERS
Among the images taken from space were China’s first photographs of the Martian south pole, where almost all of the planet’s water resources are locked.
In 2018, an orbiting probe operated by the European Space Agency had discovered water under the ice of the planet’s south pole. read more
Locating subsurface water is key to determining the planet’s potential for life, as well as providing a permanent resource for any human exploration there.
An image of Mars taken by China’s Tianwen-1 unmanned probe is seen in this handout image released by China National Space Administration (CNSA) June 29, 2022. CNSA/Handout via REUTERS
Other Tianwen-1 images include photographs of the 4,000-kilometer (2,485-mile) long canyon Valles Marineris, and impact craters of highlands in the north of Mars known as Arabia Terra.
Tianwen-1 also sent back high-resolution imagery of the edge of the vast Maunder crater, as well as a top-down view of the 18,000-meter (59,055-foot) Ascraeus Mons, a large shield volcano first detected by Nasa’s Mariner 9 spacecraft more than five decades ago.
RELATED STORIES
China’s ‘space dream’: A Long March to the Moon and beyond
Chinese findings on Mars suggest water existed for longer on planet’s surface
Martian pictorial enhances China’s imprint in space
Chinese spacecraft successfully lands on surface of Mars
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
Read Next
Bongbong Marcos picks SolGen Jose Calida as COA chair
EDITORS’ PICK
MOST READ
Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. 
View comments