China publishes its first images taken on the surface of Mars

China has released the first images taken by its

Martian

,

, on Mars, according to state television, after the

probe

landed on the surface of the red planet on Saturday the 15th. the Chinese space agency (CNSA) is observing part of the instrumentation of the

and the ramp by which it will descend to the surface of the planet. This

plans to study the Martian soil and atmosphere, including looking for signs of past life.

Zhurong

, named after a god of fire in Chinese mythology, will separate from the lander he traveled on on the 22nd, the CNSA announced over the weekend.

The

, 1.85 meters high and 240 kilos in weight, has taken these snapshots to ensure that the terrain is free of obstacles that could hinder its deployment.

Chinese state television has also broadcast a short video sequence in which it is observed how the capsule was separated with the

in the direction of the Martian surface.

#China releases images of Tianwen-1 spacecraft landing process pic.twitter.com/5WLMaGmm4y

- CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) May 19, 2021

The module carrying the robot flew for three hours before entering the Martian atmosphere, according to the CNSA, before landing on Utopia Planitia. By successfully making the first attempt, China became the third nation, after the United States and the former Soviet Union, to set foot (robotic) on Mars, a gigantic milestone in its ambitious space program.

2021 is being a news-lavish year in the space race, as missions from three different countries have arrived on the red planet for the first time.

Taking advantage for its launch of the window of opportunity of the last approach of Earth and Mars (which occurs approximately every two years), last February the

orbiter

(from the United Arab Emirates), the

orbiter

and the vehicle

(from the US).

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