Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

China’s Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter.
Credit: CNSA

China’s Tianwen-1 Mars mission has completed all of its “preset” scientific tasks.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) stated on Wednesday that the orbiter has obtained medium-definition images of the entire planet, marking the completion of its scientific goals.

Tianwen-1 orbiter imagery is being used to create a global mosaic of the Red Planet. Shown here is Ascraeus Mons imaged by the orbiter’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Camera.
Credit: CNSA

Credit: CNSA

Credit: CNSA

Credit: CNSA

CNSA said that orbiter will continue to carry out extended remote-sensing operations and technological tests.

Several new orbiter images were released by CNSA.

Dormant rover

In the meantime, the Zhurong Mars rover, now in dormant mode since mid-May, is expected to resume its duties in December, when the weather on the Red Planet is more favorable.

China’s Zhurong rover.
Credit: CNSA

Zhurong has wheeled nearly 1.2 miles (2,000 meters) across its Utopia Planitia exploration zone.

According to the CNSA, the 13 scientific instruments on the orbiter and the rover have transmitted nearly 1,040 gigabytes of raw data back to Earth.

The Tianwen-1 Mars mission — comprised of an orbiter, lander, and rover — was launched on July 23, 2020, slipping into orbit in February of last year.