China Unveils First Photos Taken by Mars Exploration Rover 'Zhurong'

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seon-ae] The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on the 19th released the first photos taken and transmitted by the Mars exploration rover 'Zhurong' (Zhurong·祝融).

Earlier, China's Mars probe 'Tianwen-1' landed on the southern part of Mars' Utopia Planitia at around 7:18 a.m. on the 15th.

It was 10 months since it left Earth last July aboard the Long March 5 rocket, making China the third country in the world to successfully land on Mars, following the United States and the former Soviet Union.

Afterward, Zhurong descended from the lander and began about three months of investigation into the Martian surface soil and atmosphere. The collected videos and information are transmitted to Earth via an orbiter circling Mars.

The released materials include two photos and two videos. The first black-and-white photo was taken by the obstacle avoidance camera mounted on the front of Zhurong, clearly capturing the Martian terrain ahead. The Martian horizon appears curved due to the wide-angle lens.

The second color photo was taken by the navigation camera attached to the rear of Zhurong, vividly showing the solar panels and antennas deployed, as well as the red soil and rocks on the Martian surface.

A video showing the orbiter spacecraft capturing the separation of Tianwen-1 and Zhurong was also released on the same day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.