Space and astronomy news
China’s Tianwen-1 lander and Zhurong rover touched down on the Martian plain Utopia Planitia on May 14, 2021 after spending about three months orbiting the Red Planet. While the Chinese Space Agency has shared images of the rover and lander (including a cute family portrait taken by a wireless remote camera), NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter …
Continue reading “Mars Orbiter Captures Images of China’s Rover From Space”
Central planning is literately central to any communist country, though its history has mixed results. As part of that planning, bureaucrats in all parts of the government are occasionally tasked with coming up with goals and milestones for their specific part of the government. These usually take the form of a five or ten-year plan, …
Continue reading “Here’s What China is Planning to do in Space for the Next 5 Years”
The United Arab Emirates Space Agency releases a unique comprehensive atlas of the Red Planet.
As the James Webb Space Telescope unfolds and makes its way to its final destination in space, NASA and ESA have done a great job of sharing the experience with the public. With webcasts, livestreams and a very active social media presence, the JWST team has allowed people to watch over the shoulders of engineers …
Continue reading “Here’s Why Webb Doesn’t Have Cameras on Board to Livestream its Deployment”
China is considering building spacecraft in orbit that would measure a few kilometers long and ensure they become the dominant power in space.
As of July 23, 2021, China’s Mars rover Zhurong has traveled 585 meters across the surface of Mars. And along the way, it’s taking pictures of interesting sights. Some of the most intriguing recent images from the rover show debris from the rover’s landing. During its drives, the rover came upon the parachute and backshell. …
Continue reading “Zhurong Finds its Own Parachute on the Surface of Mars”
China has released a new series of images that shows the progress their Zhurong rover has made on the Martian surface.
Remember the stunning video of the Perseverance rover landing on Mars? The Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) has now released similar video footage from its Zhurong rover, including the sounds recorded as it plummeted through the Martian atmosphere on its way to landing in Utopia Planitia. The CNSA also released sounds of the rover driving …
Continue reading “China Releases Sound and Video of its Rover Landing”
New images from orbit and from Mars’ surface show the Zhurong rover on the move. China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) released new pictures and video this week, and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has followed the rover’s movements from above. The image above shows wheel tracks left behind by the Zhurong rover.
The Chinese Tianwen-1 lander and Zhurong rover are being watched, both from Mars’ orbit and from the surface! The Chinese Space Agency today released a series of photos, including a family portrait of the rover and lander taken by a wireless remote camera. And just look at that cute rover face!