The Red Planet reveals its secrets: China's Tianwen-1 orbiter captures stunning panoramic images of Mars with unprecedented detail.
China has released the first global panoramic images of Mars, captured by the Tianwen 1 orbiter, providing valuable resources for future space research and expeditions.
China’s Map of Mars
On Monday, China published the first-ever global panoramic images of Mars taken by its Tianwen 1 orbiter. The color images include the Robinson, Mercator, azimuth, and orthographic projections of Mars’ Eastern and Western hemispheres, boasting a spatial resolution of 76 meters, according to China Daily.
Celebrating Space Day with New Discoveries
The images were jointly released by the China National Space Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences during a ceremony in Hefei, Anhui province, commemorating China’s Space Day. Space Day is celebrated annually on April 24 in honor of the country’s first satellite launch in 1970.
A Processed Picture of the Red Planet
The panoramas were generated from 14,757 images captured by the mid-definition camera aboard Tianwen 1’s Martian orbiter during 284 remote-sensing maneuvers between November 2021 and July 2022. These images are expected to offer valuable base maps for scientists and engineers worldwide, aiding research and planning for future Mars missions.
Tianwen 1: China’s Interplanetary Pioneer
Launched on July 23, 2020, Tianwen 1 marked China’s first independent interplanetary exploration. The spacecraft traveled approximately 475 million kilometers and underwent several trajectory maneuvers before entering Martian orbit in February 2021.
Zhurong Rover’s Martian Journey
In May 2021, China’s Mars rover Zhurong, named after the ancient Chinese god of fire, touched down on the planet and began its scientific tasks. Both Zhurong and the Tianwen 1 orbiter have transmitted around 1,800 gigabytes of raw data back to Earth. Currently in dormancy, Zhurong has traversed 1,921 meters on the Martian surface.
Uncovering Mars’ Geological Wonders
Through the analysis of images and data from Tianwen 1, Chinese scientists have discovered and identified numerous geological formations surrounding the landing site. As a nod to China’s rich cultural heritage, 22 of these formations have been named after historically significant Chinese villages. You can access the rest of the images here.
