Tiananmen 1 successfully reached the red planet last February as part of China’s first mission.
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The probe has placed a Zhuung robotic vehicle on the surface of the planet in the large plain of Utopia Planitia (one image taken by its camera has now been published) while the spacecraft is exploring the planet from space.
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An image of the surface of Mars from the Zhuong vehicle, which is exploring its landing area in the large plain of Utopia Planitia.
Photo: CNSA/Handout, Reuters
Among the images released by the Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) are the first Chinese photographs of the south pole of Mars, which contains almost all of the planet’s water resources.
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Among the images taken are the first Chinese photographs of the south pole of Mars (such as this photograph), which contains almost all the water resources of the planet.
Photo: CNSA/Handout, Reuters
The water hiding under the ice at the planet’s south pole was discovered in 2018 by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) spacecraft, the Mars Express satellite.
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Finding groundwater is key in determining the planet’s potential for life and also in securing a permanent source of water in the event that a crew participates in the survey.
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Canyon, craters, volcano
Other images from Tiananmen 1 include photographs of the 4,000-kilometer-long Valles Marineris canyon.
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A shot of the 4000 km long Valles Marineris canyon
Photo: CNSA/Handout, Reuters
Or images of impact craters in northern Mars in an area known as Arabia Terra.
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Craters in the Martian region of Arabia Terra
Photo: CNSA/Handout, Reuters
The Chinese probe also sent high-resolution images of the edge of the vast Maunder crater.
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The probe also sent an image of the rim of the vast Maunder crater.
Photo: CNSA/Handout, Reuters
We can also admire the top-down view of the 18-kilometer-high peak volcano Ascraeus Mons (introductory image of the article), first discovered by NASA’s Mariner 9 spacecraft more than five decades ago.
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