China News Service, Beijing, February 5 (Guo Chaokai, Yang Lu) At 20:00 on February 5, Beijing time, China's first Mars exploration mission, Tianwen-1 probe engine ignition, successfully completed the fourth midway correction of the ground fire transfer section. , To ensure that Mars capture is implemented as planned.
Up to now, the Tianwen-1 probe has been in orbit for about 197 days, about 184 million kilometers from the Earth, about 1.1 million kilometers from Mars, and a flight mileage of about 465 million kilometers. The probe systems are in good condition.
Prior to this, the Tianwen-1 probe acquired the first image of Mars at a distance of about 2.2 million kilometers from Mars.
In the picture, iconic landforms such as the Asidalia Plain, the Cluse Plain, the Meridian Plateau, the Skiapareli Crater, and the Vale of Sailors, the longest canyon on Mars, are clearly visible.
The Tianwen-1 mission is the first step for China to independently carry out interplanetary exploration. It will achieve "orbiting, landing, and patrol" of Mars through a single launch, that is, Mars orbit, Mars landing, and fire patrol.
The Tianwen-1 probe has a total weight of about 5 tons and is composed of an orbiter and a landing patrol device. The landing patrol device mainly includes an entry module and a Mars rover.
The Tianwen-1 probe was launched on July 23, 2020 by the Long March 5 carrier rocket at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China, starting the journey to Mars.
According to the plan, the Tianwen-1 probe will implement near-fire braking after approaching Mars on orbit around February 10, 2021, which is the Lunar New Year's Eve.
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