China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft captured a stunning view of the Earth and moon before making its first trajectory correction maneuver on the long journey to Mars.
The mission consists of an orbiter, entry vehicle and rover. The spacecraft will begin orbiting the Red Planet in February 2021, and then prepare for the rover's landing attempt, which is expected in April or May.
Tianwen-1 launched on July 23 on a Long March 5 rocket and completed the final burn to send it on a trajectory to Mars 36 minutes later. On July 27, while the spacecraft was about 750,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers) away from Earth, an optical navigation sensor imaged the crescent-shaped Earth and the smaller, more distant moon.
Related: NASA asteroid camera spots China's Tianwen-1 Mars spacecraft speeding away from Earth
The black-and-white image reveals a few apparent features of Earth, against the stark background of an otherwise vast, black ocean.
At 7:00 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT) on August 1, Tianwen-1 fired its engine for 20 seconds to optimize the spacecraft's trajectory. When the maneuver occured, Tianwen-1 was roughly 1,860,000 miles (3 million km) away from Earth after 230 hours of flight.
The burn was a vital test of the vehicle's propulsion system, which it will rely on to correct its trajectory and slow the spacecraft to allow it to enter Mars orbit.
The spacecraft will make four or five such adjustments before reaching Mars, Geng Yan, an official with the China National Space Administration, told Chinese media. The second such correction will be made before October.
Tianwen-1 is in good condition, communicating well with the ground, according to the update from the China Lunar Exploration Project.
The orbiter carries high- and medium-resolution cameras designed for studying and mapping Mars. The image of the Earth and moon, however, was taken by an optical navigation sensor that is normally pointing toward Mars.
In the days following launch, a NASA asteroid camera picked up the spacecraft moving against the star field.
Other Chinese spacecraft have imaged the Earth and moon together previously. Chang'e-5 T1, an experimental mission launched in 2014 to test lunar sample-return technologies, took a stunning image of the far side of the moon and a distant Earth.
The Queqiao relay satellite for the Chang'e-4 lunar far-side mission has also imaged the pair from the second Earth-moon Lagrange point beyond the moon, as did the Longjiang-2 microsatellite that launched with Queqiao. Fengyun-4A, a weather satellite in geostationary orbit, has also captured the pair in a single shot.
Tianwen-1, as well as the United Arab Emirates' Hope mission and NASA's Perseverance rover, are now all en route to Mars and will arrive in February.
Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
See original here:
On its way to Mars, Chinese spacecraft spots Earth and moon, aces steering maneuver - Space.com
- Mars Wrigley and Sankalp Beautiful World join hands with Sourav Ganguly Foundation to salute the COVID Warriors - IBG NEWS - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- 'Leading in space': NASA chief Bridenstine talks SpaceX, Mars and the first woman on the moon with Tulsa Regional Chamber - Tulsa World - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- We need to send at least 110 people to Mars to build a civilisation, study finds - The Independent - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Elon Musk Loves Mars so Much That He Called it His Souldog - News18 - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Cosmic 'Lighthouses' to Help Space Travellers Find Ways to Moon, Mars - The Weather Channel - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Scientist calculates 110 humans would be needed to start new civilization on Mars - New York Post - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- NASA's Curiosity Rover Took a Picture of Earth and Venus in the Mars Sky - Thrillist - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- What's the science on the Emirates Mars Mission? - DW (English) - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Alien hunters spot carving on Martian warrior in cliffs of Mars - claim - Express.co.uk - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- NASA needs your help teaching its Curiosity rover how to drive on Mars - Space.com - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- NASA's next Mars rover is just one month away from launch - Space.com - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- Mars (TV Series 20162018) - IMDb - June 22nd, 2020 [June 22nd, 2020]
- The UAEs First Mars Mission Is a Robo-Meteorologist - WIRED - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- NASA Issues Two New Directives to Stop Humans Contaminating Mars And The Moon - ScienceAlert - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- The quest to find signs of ancient life on Mars - The Jakarta Post - Jakarta Post - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Look Out, Mars: Here We Come With a Fleet of Spacecraft - The New York Times - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Hope mission to Mars: How to watch historic launch to the red planet Tuesday - MSN Money - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Bad weather may delay 1st UAE Mars mission on Japan rocket - ThePeterboroughExaminer.com - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Shock Waves Might Offer the Jolt Needed to Reach Mars - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering - USC Viterbi School of Engineering - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- From The Women Who Led India's Mars Mission to The Women Protesters at a Nuclear Power Plant: Minnie Vaid's Pen Covers Them All - Yahoo India News - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- 'The Sirens of Mars' tells of the search for life on Mars - Space.com - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- NASAs Perseverance rover will launch to Mars next month with a global tribute to health care workers - WHNT News 19 - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- Countdown to Mars: three daring missions take aim at the red planet - Nature.com - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- The UAEs first interplanetary mission to Mars set for launch - The Verge - July 13th, 2020 [July 13th, 2020]
- The 3D Printed Homes of the Future Are Giant Eggs on Mars - Singularity Hub - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- Sheikh Hamdan explains why the UAE wants to go to Mars - Khaleej Times - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- U.A.E. Sets Its Sights on Mars With Launch of Hope Orbiter - The New York Times - July 15th, 2020 [July 15th, 2020]
- NASA unveils new rules to protect the moon and Mars from Earth germs - Space.com - July 16th, 2020 [July 16th, 2020]
- The United Arab Emirates is launching its first mission to Mars - New Scientist News - July 16th, 2020 [July 16th, 2020]
- Chinese Spacecraft Poised for First Mars Mission - Scientific American - July 16th, 2020 [July 16th, 2020]
- Aliens are living in underground tunnels on Mars formed by lava billions of years ago, experts suspect - The Sun - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Mars Incorporated joins key sustainable farming project for Asian palm oil and cocoa markets - Confectionery Production - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- The Quarantine Stream: 'Mars Attacks!' Proves Tim Burton Didn't Always Need a Gothic Circus To Have Fun - /FILM - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Chocolate Confectionery Market Growth Overview, SWOT Analysis and Forecast to 2027 | Mars, Mondelez, Nestle, The Hershey Company and Ferrero - 3rd... - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- 198 in Mars Hill nursing home test negative for COVID-19 after employee tests positive - The County - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Aliens are living in underground tunnels on Mars formed by lava billions of years ago, experts suspect - The Irish Sun - July 18th, 2020 [July 18th, 2020]
- Mars is about to be invaded by planet Earth - Yahoo! Voices - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- NASA prepares to launch rover to Mars on July 30 'to seek signs of ancient life'- here's how to watch - Cambridgeshire Live - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- Watch the United Arab Emirates launch its first mission to Mars - The Verge - July 19th, 2020 [July 19th, 2020]
- For Mars, Hope (and a little Perseverance, too) shines in UAE's 'Apollo moment' - Space.com - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- NASA's Mars Rover Drivers Need Your Help NASAs Mars ... - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Two new books explore Mars and what it means to be human - Science News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Curiosity is investigating a strangely colored rock it found on Mars - Digital Trends - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Hashtag Trending United Arab Emirates launch mission to Mars; Diversifying the C-Suite; VPN providers breach - IT World Canada - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Why mastering the Moon is vital before missions to Mars - Flightglobal - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- The United Arab Emirates' Hope mission to Mars in photos - Space.com - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- What will astronauts need to survive the dangerous journey to Mars? - Science News - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- COLUMN: Longing to return to Mars, and a world that never was - vancouverislandfreedaily.com - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- 3 Countries Are Scheduled To Send Spacecraft To Mars This Summer - NPR - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Mars Facts: Life, Water and Robots on the Red Planet | Space - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- UAE launches "Hope" Mars orbiter to study red planet's ... - July 21st, 2020 [July 21st, 2020]
- Alibaba News Roundup: Ant IPO, Mars and the Prado... - Alizila - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- CU Boulder Helped The UAE Launch Its First Mission To Mars - CBS Denver - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Mars is becoming a popular destination spot - The Tribune - Ironton Tribune - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Singer Bruno Mars marks 10 years of 'Just The Way You Are' - The Star Online - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- NASA's Mars 2020 rover will seek signs of ancient life - UPI News - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Kevin Hart and the UAE join forces for 'Mars Shot' contest - Space.com - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- From Earth to Mars: Rosalind Franklins centenary of science - YubaNet - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- How to watch NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover launch live online - Space.com - July 25th, 2020 [July 25th, 2020]
- Second round of testing complete at Continuing Care in Mars Hill; results underscore importance of using proper PPE - Bangor Daily News - July 26th, 2020 [July 26th, 2020]
- UNLV Professor Part Of NASA's Newest Mars Rover Team - KNPR - July 26th, 2020 [July 26th, 2020]
- 3 Great Mysteries About Life on Mars - The New York Times - July 26th, 2020 [July 26th, 2020]
- Engineers brought together by Mars are now using technology to save Australia's bees from devastating varroa mites - ABC News - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Will we ever find life on Mars? | Australia news - The Guardian - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Mars rover to carry name of teen with rare disorder and Arizona ties - KTAR.com - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Perseverance: the new mission to Mars | News - The Guardian - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Tag Along with Mars Rovers as They Explore the Red Planet in a New 4K Video - Colossal - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- SuperCam Designed, Built And Tested At LANL Is Ready To Head To Mars With Perseverance Mission - Los Alamos Reporter - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- From Earth to Mars: Rosalind Franklins Century of Science - SciTechDaily - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Perseverance will seek signs of life on Mars | Stanford News - Stanford University News - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Rock from Mars heads home after 600,000 years on Earth - The Guardian - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- Was There Life On Mars? NASAs $2 Billion Bot Launches This Week On Unique Sample Return Mission - Forbes - July 27th, 2020 [July 27th, 2020]
- 200 test negative after employee at Mars Hill nursing home confirmed to have COVID-19 - The County - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Sticking the landing on Mars: High-powered computing aims to reduce guesswork - University of Michigan News - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Was there life on Mars? USC experts explore the upcoming NASA mission - USC News - July 29th, 2020 [July 29th, 2020]
- Mars Will Be 100 Times Faster Through Its Digital Engine - Forbes - July 30th, 2020 [July 30th, 2020]
- The race to Mars: Who is blasting off to the Red Planet and why? - The Irish News - July 30th, 2020 [July 30th, 2020]
- Q&A: The World is Going to Mars. An Aerospace Engineer Explains - University of Virginia - July 30th, 2020 [July 30th, 2020]
- Giant waves of sand are moving on Mars - Science Magazine - July 30th, 2020 [July 30th, 2020]
- How to watch NASA launch its next rover to Mars today - The Verge - July 30th, 2020 [July 30th, 2020]