🚀 Get ready for a cosmic selfie! In celebration of China's National Day, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) shared a jaw-dropping image from the Tianwen-2 probe. It shows the return capsule, the probe's robotic arm waving China's Five-Starred Red Flag, and our vibrant blue Earth hanging in the background! 🤯🌏
Launched on May 29, Tianwen-2 is China's first asteroid sample-return mission. It's on an epic double duty: collecting samples from the near-Earth asteroid 2016HO3 and studying the main-belt comet 311P, which orbits beyond Mars. Talk about an interplanetary road trip!
So far, the probe has been cruising in orbit for 125 days and aced every test—deploying its sampling gear, running system self-checks, and firing up its science instruments. All systems are go as it gathers valuable data on the space environment. 🌌
Right now, Tianwen-2 is about 43 million kilometers from Earth and 45 million kilometers from asteroid 2016HO3. It's smoothly charting its course through the void, snapping photos and making history along the way. Stay tuned for more cosmic updates! ✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
