Chinese Spaceship Tianwen-1 Wishes Happy Chinese New Year From Mars

Space illustration. (NASA / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Chinese National Space Agency (CNSA) released two videos that provide an up-to-date picture of the condition of Mars on Friday, February 12, when the Tianwen-1 spacecraft entered Mars orbit.

And, to coincide with Chinese New Year 2572, the crew of the spaceship sent new year greetings to the people on earth.

After a 6 1/2 month journey across space, Tianwen-1 slowed down its speed, so it could be captured by the gravitational pull of Mars last Wednesday.

Tianwen-1 is the second spacecraft to reach Mars orbit this month after the UAE's Hope also arrived. Following that, the spacecraft belonging to the United States (NASA) will arrive and make landfall next week.

Returning to Tianwen-1, the two video clips, which are less than a minute long, are the first to be released by China's National Space Agency as their spacecraft enters orbit.

"The Tianwen-1 New Year's blessings come from distant Mars", CNSA said on Friday 12 February, the first day of Chinese New Year, as reported by Reuters.

The footage, taken from a camera mounted on the unmanned aircraft, shows it vibrating as solar-powered boosters fire to slow it down, with the outline of Mars and even craters on the planet's surface visible in the background as the probe glides on.

"Solar panels, directional antennas, Mars atmosphere, and surface topography are clearly visible", added CNSA.