Chinese probe successfully maps entire Mars, sends stunning pictures

[beijingwalker]

Chinese probe successfully maps entire Mars, sends stunning pictures​

China's Tianwen-1 orbiter has mapped the entire of Mars, including the planet's South Pole. The spacecraft conducted 1300 revolutions of the Red Planet to image entire planet.​

India Today Web Desk
New Delhi
June 29, 2022

An image of Mars taken by China's Tianwen-1 unmanned probe is seen in this handout image released by China National Space Administration (CNSA). (Photo: CNSA)

After reaching Martian orbit, China's Tianwen-1 mission reached a major milestone and successfully mapped the entire planet. The spacecraft has captured images ranging from Mars' poles to the surface features, canyons, and craters after circling the planet over 1,300 times in a space of just over a year.

The spacecraft was successfully inserted into an orbit around Mars in February 2021 in China's maiden attempt at an interplanetary mission. Chinese scientists not only succeeded in entering Martian orbit in the first attempt, but also landed a rover on the Red Planet and moved around.

Among the images taken from space were China's first photographs of the Martian south pole, where almost all of the planet's water resources are locked. In 2018, an orbiting probe operated by the European Space Agency discovered water under the ice of the planet's south pole.

An image of Mars taken by China's Tianwen-1 unmanned probe shows cratered surface. (Photo: CNSA)

Other Tianwen-1 images include photographs of the 4,000-kilometre (2,485-mile) long canyon Valles Marineris, and impact craters of highlands in the north of Mars known as Arabia Terra. According to details released by the Chinese space agency, the orbiter has also beamed back high-resolution imagery of the edge of the vast Maunder crater, as well as a top-down view of the 18,000-metre (59,055-foot) Ascraeus Mons, a large shield volcano first detected by NASA's Mariner 9 spacecraft more than five decades ago.

The orbiter has been circling the planet thrice every Martian day or Sol while relaying communication between Earth and the Zhurong rover on the ground. Chinese engineers had in November 2021 revved up the speed of the orbiter by 78 meters per second shifting the orbit time around the planet to begin the mapping campaign.

Before the change of orbit, the orbiter was mainly responsible for the relay communication function of the Zhurong rover. The remote sensing mission will help China develop a comprehensive topographic model of the Red Planet as the search for life continues on the surface.

An image of Mars taken by China's Tianwen-1 unmanned probe. (Photo: CNSA)

While the orbiter is flying above the planet, the Zhurong rover is in the large plain area within the largest known impact basin in the solar system. The 240-kilogram robot is the core component of the Tianwen-1 mission. It is the sixth rover to move on the Martian surface after five from the United States.

Chinese probe successfully maps entire Mars, sends stunning pictures

China's Tianwen-1 orbiter has mapped the entire of Mars, including the planet's South Pole. The spacecraft conducted 1300 revolutions of the Red Planet to image entire planet.

www.indiatoday.in

 

[beijingwalker]

Chinese spacecraft acquires images of entire planet of Mars​

Reuters
June 29, 2022

BEIJING, June 29 (Reuters) - An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft has acquired imagery data covering all of Mars, including visuals of its south pole, after circling the planet more than 1,300 times since early last year, state media reported on Wednesday.

China's Tianwen-1 successfully reached the Red Planet in February 2021 on the country's inaugural mission there. A robotic rover has since been deployed on the surface as an orbiter surveyed the planet from space.

Among the images taken from space were China's first photographs of the Martian south pole, where almost all of the planet's water resources are locked.

In 2018, an orbiting probe operated by the European Space Agency had discovered water under the ice of the planet's south pole.

Locating subsurface water is key to determining the planet's potential for life, as well as providing a permanent resource for any human exploration there.

Other Tianwen-1 images include photographs of the 4,000-kilometre (2,485-mile) long canyon Valles Marineris, and impact craters of highlands in the north of Mars known as Arabia Terra.

Tianwen-1 also sent back high-resolution imagery of the edge of the vast Maunder crater, as well as a top-down view of the 18,000-metre (59,055-foot) Ascraeus Mons, a large shield volcano first detected by NASA's Mariner 9 spacecraft more than five decades ago.

Chinese spacecraft acquires images of entire planet of Mars

An uncrewed Chinese spacecraft has acquired imagery data covering all of Mars, including visuals of its south pole, after circling the planet more than 1,300 times since early last year, state media reported on Wednesday.

www.reuters.com

 

[beijingwalker]

All of Mars captured by Chinese spacecraft​

 

[WotTen]

This is great. It will provide detailed data to plan landing sites and survey routes of future missions.

By the way, it's funny how Western media always adds 'state media says' to cast doubt on Chinese claims, but for NASA and ESA they always say 'NASA says' or 'European Space Agency says' without using the phrase 'state-owned'.

Anyway, China is doing well. Congrats to the team!

 

[beijingwalker]

China's Mars probe has photographed the entire red planet​

CNN
Updated 2:12 AM ET, Thu June 30, 2022

An image of a mountain on Mars taken by China's Tianwen-1 probe.

(CNN)After more than a year on the surface of Mars, China's Tianwen-1 probe has taken images covering the entire red planet, the country's space agency announced Wednesday.

Tianwen-1, which means "quest for heavenly truth," was launched in 2020 and landed on Mars last May, when the Zhurong rover on board started its mission of patrolling and exploring the planet while the orbiter spun overhead.

In a statement, China's National Space Agency (CNSA) said the probe has now completed all its assigned tasks, including taking medium-resolution images covering the entire planet.

An image of dunes on Mars, taken by the Zhurong rover of the Tianwen-1 probe shortly before it entered dormancy in May 2022.

The images, posted by the space agency on social media, show the Martian landscape's rugged terrain: dusty red dunes, shield volcanoes, impact craters, the south pole ice sheet, and the cliffs and ridges of the Valles Marineris canyons -- one of the largest canyons in our solar system.

The images were taken by the probe's orbiter, which circled Mars 1,344 times, capturing images of the planet from every angle, while the rover explored the surface, CNSA said.

A high-resolution image showing the edge of a crater on Mars, and the beginning of the pit.

The six-wheeled rover carried scientific instruments on its journey, gathering information about Mars' geological structure, atmosphere, environment and soil. The probe has collected 1,040 gigabytes of raw scientific data, which has been processed by scientists on Earth and handed to research teams for further study, the agency said.

CNSA said it had shared the orbiter's flight information with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), and the scientific data will be available to international scientists "at an appropriate time."

With temperatures dropping during the Martian winter, as well as poor sand and dust conditions, the rover entered a dormant mode on May 18 that will last through the harsh season before its expected awakening in December -- when the landing area will enter early spring, bringing better weather.

The orbiter will continue conducting tests and preparing for future tasks, the space agency said.

Prior to China's success with Tianwen-1, only the United States and the former Soviet Union had landed a spacecraft on the surface of Mars -- but India, the ESA, and the United Arab Emirates have sent spacecraft to enter the planet's orbit.

With Tianwen-1, China was the first nation to attempt sending both an orbiter and a rover on its first homegrown Mars mission. NASA, for instance, sent multiple orbiters to Mars before ever attempting a landing.

China's Mars probe has photographed the entire red planet

After more than a year on the surface of Mars, China's Tianwen-1 probe has taken images covering the entire red planet, the country's space agency announced Wednesday.

www.cnn.com

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

CNSA said it had shared the orbiter's flight information with NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), and the scientific data will be available to international scientists "at an appropriate time."

Uh huh...still waiting for those moon pictures....which they don't want to share because it shows evidence of the Apollo landings.

February 6, 2012

China publishes high-resolution full moon map - Xinhua | English.news.cn

China on Monday published a full coverage map of the moon, as well as several high-resolution images of the celestial body, captured by the country's second moon orbiter, the Chang'e-2.

The images were photographed by a charge-coupled device (CCD) stereo camera on the Chang'e-2 from heights of 100 km and 15 km over the lunar surface between October 2010 and May 2011, according to a statement from SASTIND.

The resolution of the images obtained from Chang'e-2 is 17 times greater than those taken by the its predecessor, the Chang'e-1.

If there were airports and harbors on the moon, the Chang'e-1 could simply identify them, while the Chang'e-2 would be able to detect planes or ships inside of them, said Tong Qingxi, an academic from the Institute of Remote Sensing Applications under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The scientists also spotted traces of the previous Apollo mission in the images, said Yan Jun, chief application scientist for China's lunar exploration project.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Uh huh...still waiting for those moon pictures....which they don't want to share because it shows evidence of the Apollo landings.

February 6, 2012

China publishes high-resolution full moon map - Xinhua | English.news.cn

China on Monday published a full coverage map of the moon, as well as several high-resolution images of the celestial body, captured by the country's second moon orbiter, the Chang'e-2.

The images were photographed by a charge-coupled device (CCD) stereo camera on the Chang'e-2 from heights of 100 km and 15 km over the lunar surface between October 2010 and May 2011, according to a statement from SASTIND.

The resolution of the images obtained from Chang'e-2 is 17 times greater than those taken by the its predecessor, the Chang'e-1.

If there were airports and harbors on the moon, the Chang'e-1 could simply identify them, while the Chang'e-2 would be able to detect planes or ships inside of them, said Tong Qingxi, an academic from the Institute of Remote Sensing Applications under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The scientists also spotted traces of the previous Apollo mission in the images, said Yan Jun, chief application scientist for China's lunar exploration project.

It is illegal for NASA to have any interaction with China per the Wolf Amendment.

 

[Imran Khan]

huamns have no right to go other planets and take pics or send probes on them . while here on earth they even never let other humans to step a foot across their stupid borders . respect the sovereignty of other planet you jerks ,

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

It is illegal for NASA to have any interaction

No, silly...NASA isn't banned..they are just "blocked".
They can talk to the Chinese program anytime they want.

It is illegal for NASA to have any interaction with China per the Wolf Amendment.

You mean the whole world falls under the Wolf Amendment?

Like somebody in Zimbabwe can't view them because of that?

Or maybe the Chinese Government's weak excuse was because some 5 year old at a local playground said the moon pics "look too scary"...so they aren't releasing them for "the sake of the children!!".

 

[WotTen]

Uh huh...still waiting for those moon pictures....which they don't want to share because it shows evidence of the Apollo landings.

If China published high resolution images of Apollo landing site, it would show the American flag had printing in the bottom saying 'Made in China'.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

If China published high resolution images of Apollo landing site, it would show the American flag had printing in the bottom saying 'Made in China'.

I'm sure they'd love to rewrite history to say that but back in the late 60's early 70's China's main export was more likely people fleeing the country...not manufacturing commercial goods like flags for capitalists.

 

[WotTen]

I'm sure they'd love to rewrite history to say that but back in the late 60's early 70's China's main export was people fleeing the country...not manufacturing commercial goods for capitalists.

Well, China is having the last laugh because they are fast catching up despite all the American and European tantrums couched behind 'national security' excuses. Science should be above politics and the US has gone completely crazy with its China obsession.

The US is still leading in space tech but competition is good for both sides...

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Well, China is having the last laugh because they are fast catching up despite all the American and European tantrums couched behind 'national security' excuses. The US is still leading but competition is good for both sides...

Well it would be better to wish Pakistan had some laughs instead of always going out of your way perpetually cheering for somebody else. If you think their goal is to help you out in the end...you better think again. You are just in their way. Right now they are throwing you some smiles to keep you happy...but the smiles will be over when you are not useful anymore.

So I suggest working on those laughs yourself instead of waiting for somebody to hand them to you for free.

 

[WotTen]

Well it would be better to wish Pakistan had some laughs instead of always going out of your way perpetually cheering for somebody else. If you think their goal is to help you out in the end...you better think again. You are just in their way. Right now they are throwing you some smiles to keep you happy...but the smiles will be over when you are not useful anymore.

So I suggest working on those laughs yourself instead of waiting for somebody to hand them to you for free.

I support China's rise because a balanced world keeps everyone in check. An unrestrained America is not good for the world, nor is an unrestrained China or anyone else.

The second issue is that the US protects India while it promotes separatist and terrorist activity within Pakistan. It doesn't matter that India will deny it and the US will protect it. We know who is killing civilians in Pakistan. China is working for its own interests, no one has any illusions but, as long as those interests don't involve supporting our enemies to kill Pakistani civilians, then I have no problem with China's rise.

The final factor is that the US has set back democracy in Pakistan by using dirty politics to remove the only hope for Pakistan (Imran Khan) in a long time. They have reinstated the corrupt elite which has looted this country for 70 years, leaving most of the people in abject living conditions. The US has proved that it is not a friend to the poor masses in Pakistan, only to the corrupt elite.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

I support China's rise because a balanced world keeps everyone in check. An unrestrained America is not good for the world, nor is an unrestrained China or anyone else.

The second issue is that the US protects India while it promotes separatist and terrorist activity within Pakistan. It doesn't matter that India will deny it and the US will protect it. We know who is killing civilians in Pakistan. China is working for its own interests, no one has any illusions but, as long as those interests don't involve supporting our enemies to kill Pakistani civilians, then I have no problem with China's rise.

The final factor is that the US has set back democracy in Pakistan by using dirty politics to remove the only hope for Pakistan (Imran Khan) in a long time. They have reinstated the corrupt elite which has looted this country for 70 years, leaving most of the people in abject living conditions. The US has proved that it is not a friend to the poor masses in Pakistan, only to the corrupt elite.

LOL! That's nice but you don't have to jump in and wave China's flag with your "Hey Grandma" reply posts because the Chinese members here can speak perfectly fine for themselves and have no problems adequately retorting anything I write.