Posted on

A Global Color Map of Mars, Courtesy of China’s Tianwen-1 Mission

In July 2020, China’s Tianwen-1 mission arrived in orbit around Mars, consisting of six robotic elements: an orbiter, a lander, two deployable cameras, a remote camera, and the Zhurong rover. As the first in a series of interplanetary missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the mission’s purpose is to investigate Mars’s geology and …

Continue reading “A Global Color Map of Mars, Courtesy of China’s Tianwen-1 Mission”

Posted on

New Pics of Phobos From China’s Tianwen-1 Orbiter

Two fundamental factors affect all astrophotography – timing and location. If a camera happens to be at the right place at the right time, it can capture images that have never been seen before. And with the proliferation of cameras throughout the solar system, more and more novel photos will be captured at an ever-increasing …

Continue reading “New Pics of Phobos From China’s Tianwen-1 Orbiter”

Posted on

China’s Tianwen-1 has Imaged the Entire Surface of Mars, Completing its Primary Mission

After exploring Mars for more than a year, China’s Tianwen-1 space probe has successfully taken images covering the entire Red Planet, China’s National Space Administration (CNSA) announced on June 29. Tianwen-1, which translates to “quest for heavenly truth”, consists of six separate spacecraft: an orbiter, two deployable cameras, lander, remote camera, and Zhurong rover. The …

Continue reading “China’s Tianwen-1 has Imaged the Entire Surface of Mars, Completing its Primary Mission”

Posted on

China’s Mars-bound Tianwen-1 Takes a Selfie

The CNSA (Chinese National Space Agency) has released an image of its Tianwen-1 spacecraft to coincide with the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival. The spacecraft is on its way to Mars, and if the landing is successful, China will be only the third nation to successfully land a spacecraft on the planet.

Posted on

China’s First Mars Lander is Going to be Called “Tianwen”

Friday April 24th was China’s “Space Day,” celebrated on the 50 year anniversary of their first satellite launch. This past Friday, China marked the occasion with the announcement of the name for their first Mars Lander: Tianwen. According to China’s National Space Administration (CNSA), Tianwen translates to “Quest for Heavenly Truth.”

Posted on

Archaeology On Mars: Preserving Artifacts of Our Expansion Into the Solar System

In 1971, the Soviet Mars 3 lander became the first spacecraft to land on Mars, though it only lasted a couple of minutes before failing. More than 50 years later, it’s still there at Terra Sirenum. The HiRISE camera NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter may have imaged some of its hardware, inadvertently taking part in what …

Continue reading “Archaeology On Mars: Preserving Artifacts of Our Expansion Into the Solar System”

Posted on

China Plans to Retrieve Mars Samples by 2031

China’s growing presence in space has been undeniable since the turn of the century. Between sending the first “taikonaut” to space in 2003 (Yang Liwei), launching the first Chinese robotic mission to the Moon (Chang’e-1) in 2007, and the deployment of their Tiangong space station between 2021-2022, China has emerged as a major power in …

Continue reading “China Plans to Retrieve Mars Samples by 2031”