The China National Space Administration (CNSA) releases mid-flight images of Mars probe Tianwen-1 as the country’s National Day coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival on Oct. 1, 2020. It is the first time that Tianwen-1 took selfies.Photo:Xinhua
Kickstarting an ambitious year in China’s aerospace development with more than 40 space launch missions planned, Tianwen-1, the country’s first ever Mars probe, is expected to arrive in the gravity field of the Red Planet and carry out a braking maneuver around February 10, a day before Chinese New Years Eve.Tianwen-1 has traveled more than 450 million kilometers as of Wednesday, bringing it 170 million kilometers away from Earth, according to the latest update from its developer, the state-owned space giant China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.Â
Flying in orbit 194 days after liftoff from Wenchang Space Launch Center in South China’s Hainan Province on July 23, 2020, the spacecraft is expected to arrive in the gravitational field of Mars, carry out a braking maneuver and enter the Mars orbit around February 10.
It aims to land on the planet by mid-May 2021, where it will release the countrys first Mars rover to conduct a survey mission. A campaign to solicit a name for the rover, which has created excitement among tens of thousands of Chinese netizens on social media platforms, has been narrowed down to 10 candidates.
Currently, the probe is speeding towards the Red Planet after having completed several tasks including the capture of a group shot of the Earth and the moon, a self-portrait in space, three midway corrections, deep space maneuvers and a number of self-checks, according to the company.
Global Times
