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China posts a selfie of its robot on the surface of Mars

2021-06-12T10:22:41.142Z


The space agency of the Asian country distributes color photographs of the red planet and the devices of the landing module of the probe 'Tianwen-1'


The National Space Administration of China (ANEC) has published this Friday a 360-degree panoramic selfie taken on Mars by its explorer robot, the

Zhurong,

and two other color photographs of the planet and the devices of the probe's landing module.

Tianwen-1

, which reached the surface on May 15.

More information

  • What is China looking for on Mars

For the first image, the

Zhurong

detached itself from the detachable camera that it usually carries located in the basement and fell back a few meters.

Thus, both the

rover

and the landing module

can be seen

, more in the background, from a ground level perspective.

"The image was transmitted to the vehicle wirelessly, which then bounced it back to Earth through the orbiter module," the text detailed.

The panorama shows the surroundings of the landing zone, a flat, stony and ocher terrain, and was taken by the scout vehicle

Zhurong

(named after the fire god of ancient Chinese mythology) before it left on May 22. the platform where it touched the ground of Mars.

“The nearby surface is relatively flat, with smooth, light-colored stones of different sizes scattered and half-buried.

There is a hole at the bottom with darker and more angular stones on the margin ”, detailed the ANEC in the text published on its website.

Surface of Mars photographed by the explorer robot 'Zhurong'. China National Space Administrat / EFE

In the panoramic image you can also see both the descent ramp to the Martian terrain and the rear of the

Zhurong

, with the solar panels that it uses to feed itself deployed.

"The abundance and size of the stones corresponds to expectations," noted the Chinese space agency.

Another photograph shows the landing module, with the

Zhurong

descent ramp

- also the author of this photo - and a Chinese flag unfurled.

At the end of the ramp you can see the footprints left by the astromobile on the Martian surface, which draw a circle.

The landing module, with the ramp by which the robot 'Zhurong' descendedChina National Space Administrat / EFE

According to ANEC, the orbiter module is in good condition and the

rover

has been working on the surface of Mars for 28 Martian days.

The

Zhurong

is part of the Chinese mission

Tianwen-1

, which was sent into space in July 2020 and whose landing probe reached the planet's surface on May 15, in the southern part of the so-called Utopia Planitia, a plain located in the northern hemisphere.

The

Tianwen-1

(whose name can be translated as "Heavenly Questions") is China's first Mars exploration mission and the first in history that combines the trip into orbit and drop in a single mission.

Chinese scientists intend to find more evidence of the existence of water or ice on that planet, as well as carry out research on the material composition of the surface of Mars or the characteristics of the climate.

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2021-06-12

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