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Zhang Tong

China’s space agency announced on Wednesday that the Tianwen-1 orbiter has collected data from the entire surface of Mars, marking the official completion of the country’s first Mars mission.
Scientific data obtained in the mission will be made available to international scientists at the “proper time”, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
“The purpose of our exploration is to gain a deep and accurate understanding of Mars, through the data obtained by orbiting the planet,” said Zhang Rongqiao, chief engineer of the Tianwen-1 mission, in an interview with state television.
“Tianwen-1 employed many different instruments. The data they obtained, when combined, makes our knowledge of Mars more comprehensive.”
Visual Explainer: China’s rover makes historic landing on Mars
While the mission is ending, the instruments involved, including a rover and an orbiter, are still in working order.
The orbiter will stay in orbit and continue remote sensing the planet while seeking opportunities for future experiments and acting as a relay satellite for the instruments on the ground.
The Zhu Rong rover will stay in hibernation on Mars while it rides out the planet’s storm season. Weather conditions on the red planet are expected to improve around December.


The Chinese team released new photos from Mars to mark the official end of the mission.
They included a bird’s-eye view of Ascraeus Mons, an 18km (11 mile) -high volcano with a diameter of 456km. The image shows detailed features of a volcanic crater on the summit.
There is also a photo of the planet’s southern polar cap. Researchers believe that the polar caps on Mars consist primarily of frozen carbon dioxide and water.
Just before it went into hibernation, Zhu Rong also took an image of the area it patrolled, showing a sand dune with some tiny rocks.


Tianwen-1 was launched by a Long March 5 rocket on July 23, 2020 from the Wenchang spaceport in the island province of Hainan.
The orbiter has travelled 706 days and circled Mars 1,344 times, while the rover has travelled 1,921.5m over the surface of the planet.
China’s Tianwen-1 orbiter uses ‘selfie stick’ to capture ice caps on Mars
Chinese space authorities said they had promoted cooperation with international space agencies and the scientific community.
The agency shared data with Nasa and the European Space Agency (ESA) to avoid collisions in orbit, and the Zhu Rong rover and the ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft conducted a relay communication experiment.
The Tianwen-1 orbiter has also teamed up with observatories in Russia, Germany, Italy, Australia, South Africa and other countries to study solar winds as part of an international effort to improve the accuracy of space weather forecasts.


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China’s Mars mission

It’s a wrap for China’s Tianwen-1 Mars mission, but rover and orbiter still ready to work

China’s space agency released new photos of Mars taken by the Tianwen-1 probe to mark the completion of the country’s first mission to the planet on Wednesday. Photo: CNSA

Tianwen-1 mission visually explained: China’s journey to Mars

China’s Mars mission: Tianwen-1 orbiter uses ‘selfie stick’ to capture ice caps on red planet

China has published videos showing its Mars orbiter Tianwen-1 against the background showing frost patches, which the CNSA says are ice caps. Photo: CNSA

The Tianwen-1 has a 1.6m (5.2-foot) “selfie-stick” which unfurls and captures images of the spacecraft. Photo: CNSA

China’s Tianwen-1 sends back pictures showing probe orbiting round Mars

The Tianwen-1 orbiter seen orbiting above Mars. Photo: Xinhua

The mission is a major step forward for China’s space programme. Photo: Xinhua

An image sent from the surface taken by the Zhu Rong rover. Photo: Xinhua

Martian ice is a mixture of frozen carbon dioxide and water. Photo: Xinhua

What is China’s Tianwen-1 Mars mission?

The Tianwen-1 Mars probe lifts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in Hainan province on July 23 last year. Photo: Xinhua

China’s Tianwen-1 zooms in on Mars surface on cusp of new tech era

China says observations from its Tianwen-1 orbiter will help to understand how sandstorms form on the surface of Mars. Photo: Reuters/CNSA

HANDOUT - 24 February 2021, ---: A panoramic picture provided by NASA on 24 February 2021, shows the rim of the Jezero Crater where the Mars Perseverance rover landed on the Red Planet last week. The photo was stitched together by NASA researchers from 142 images taken by the Mastcam-Z camera on 21 February. Photo: -/NASA/dpa - ATTENTION: editorial use only and only if the credit mentioned above is referenced in full

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) March 4, 2021. CNSA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

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Team releases new photos of the red planet’s southern polar cap and an 18,000m volcano
Chinese space agency says it plans to share data with international scientists at the ‘proper time’



China’s space agency marks completion of Tianwen-1 mission with new photos of red planet volcano and polar cap.


It’s a wrap for China’s Tianwen-1 Mars mission, but rover and orbiter still ready to work

Team releases new photos of the red planet’s southern polar cap and an 18,000m volcano Chinese space agency says it plans to share data with international scientists at the ‘proper time’

Team releases new photos of the red planet’s southern polar cap and an 18,000m volcano

Chinese space agency says it plans to share data with international scientists at the ‘proper time’