The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has just released the first images captured by their Zhurong Mars rover, including a panorama of the landing site, Martian topography / landforms, the landing platform, as well as a selfie with the landing platform. These images marks a complete success of China’s first Mars exploration mission. In the panorama, you can see lots of different-sized rocks in the landing site indicating a good autonomous site selection. Read more for a video and additional information.
If you’re wondering how the selfie was captured, the rover had to move about 10 meters to the south of the landing platform, separate the camera mounted on its bottom, and then retreat to the side of the platform. The photograph was then captured and transmitted wirelessly to the rover before being relayed back to Earth by the orbiter.
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Zhurong is very healthy and steadily making way to its designated targets every day. Since the touchdown on May 15, the rover has been checking out its own conditions as well as its surroundings; it has moved some 80 meters by now,” said Zhang Rongqiao, Chief Designer of China’s first Mars exploration mission, to CGTN.
