Xi sends congratulatory letter on Mars probe's historic landing
Up in the Martian skies, the Tianwen 1 orbiter has returned to its parking orbit and will continue circling the reddish sphere for mapping and measurement tasks with seven scientific instruments, including a high-resolution imager and magnetometer. It will also relay signals between the ground control and the Zhurong rover.
Zhurong is 1.85 meters high and weighs about 240 kilograms. It has six wheels and four solar panels, can move at 200 meters an hour on the Martian surface, and carries six scientific instruments, including a multispectral camera, a meteorological sensor and ground-penetrating radar.
If the semi-autonomous craft functions efficiently, it will work for at least three months and undertake comprehensive surveys of the planet.
Its success will mark the completion of all of Tianwen 1's mission objectives-orbiting Mars for comprehensive observation, landing on the planet and deploying a rover to conduct scientific operations, also making Tianwen 1 the first Mars expedition to accomplish all three goals with one probe.