General
China’s space probe Tianwen-1 snaps its first image of Mars as it heads towards the planet to study its soil
China’s Tianwen-1 probe has sent back its first image of Mars, the national space agency said, as the mission prepares to touch down on the planet later this year.
Key points:
- China could become the first country to orbit, land and deploy a rover in its inaugural mission to Mars
- It aims to land a probe in a massive impact basin in the northern hemisphere of Mars
- China has spent billions on its military-led space programme and wants to build a space station by 2022
The spacecraft, which was launched in July around the same time as a rival US mission, is expected to enter an orbit of Mars around February 10.
The black-and-white photo released late on Friday by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) showed geological features including…
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