Tianwen-1 consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover. The Tianwen-1 rover is scheduled to deploy to the Martian surface in May, when it will touch down in Utopia Planitia, a large plain that is part of the biggest impact basin on Mars.
See photos of the Tianwen-1 mission here!
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(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Agency)
The Tianwen-1 mission launched on a Chinese Long March 5 rocket on July 23, 2020, from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island.
China's Tianwen-1 Mars probe is seen by a tiny camera ejected from the spacecraft in a photo captured 15 million miles (24 million kilometers) from Earth.
The first image of Mars returned by China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) released the image on Feb. 5, 2021, demonstrating that the powerful, high-resolution camera on the Tianwen-1 spacecraft was working properly ahead of its orbit arrival. The greyscale image was captured at a distance of 1.36 million miles (2.2 million kilometers) from Mars, according to CNSA.
A portion of Mars' Utopia Planitia impact basin, as photographed by the HiRISE camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover will touch down in a section of Utopia Planitia in 2021.
A Long March 5 rocket was vertically transported to the launch area at China's Wenchang Space Launch Center on July 17, 2020. Note the logos of the European (ESA), French (CNES), Argentine (CONAE) and Austrian (FFG) space agencies in addition to that of the China National Space Agency (CNSA).
A Chinese Long March 5 rocket launches the China National Space Administration's Tianwen-1 Mars rover, lander and orbiter from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island on July 23, 2020.
A Chinese Long March 5 rocket launches the China National Space Administration's Tianwen-1 Mars rover, lander and orbiter from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island on July 23, 2020.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Agency)
A Chinese Long March 5 rocket launches the China National Space Administration's Tianwen-1 Mars rover, lander and orbiter from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island on July 23, 2020.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Agency)
The Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter, rover and lander separate from their Long March 5 rocket after a successful launch on July 23, 2020.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Agency)
This screenshot from a CCTV broadcast shows a depiction of China's Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter-rover-lander after spacecraft separation and solar array deployment on July 23, 2020.
(Image credit: NASA)
A still image showing China's Tianwen-1 Mars spacecraft as seen by the Hawaii-based asteroid survey ATLAS.
China's Tianwan-1 Mars rover is pictured at the "Mars yard," a simulated Red Planet testing ground at the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing, China.
China's Tianwan-1 Mars rover is pictured at the "Mars yard," a simulated Red Planet testing ground at the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing.
China's Tianwan-1 Mars rover is pictured at the "Mars yard," a simulated Red Planet testing ground at the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Administration)
An artist's concept of China's first Mars rover mission, Tianwen-1, on its way to the Red Planet.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Administration)
An artist's concept of China's first Mars rover mission, Tianwen-1, arriving in orbit at the Red Planet.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Administration)
An artist's concept of China's first Mars rover mission, Tianwen-1, landing on the Red Planet.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Administration)
An artist's concept of China's first Mars rover mission, Tianwen-1, landing on the Red Planet.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Administration)
An artist's concept of China's first Mars rover mission, Tianwen-1, landing on the Red Planet.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Administration)
An artist's concept of China's first Mars rover mission, Tianwen-1, at the Red Planet.
(Image credit: CNSA)
An artist's illustration of China's first Mars rover Tianwen-1 on the Red Planet.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Administration)
An artist's concept of China's Tianwen-1 rover being deployed from the lander on the Red Planet.
(Image credit: CCTV/China National Space Administration)
An artist's concept of the Tianwen-1 lander on the Red Planet.
(Image credit: James Head)
Diagram of China's Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter.
(Image credit: James Head)
Diagram of China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover.
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