The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Wednesday said that its unmanned orbiter and rover, Tianwen-1, have accomplished their planned scientific exploration tasks, including imagery data covering all of Mars, Chinese media reported.
The spacecraft carried 13 scientific instruments to Mars to examine the planet. The mission's objective is to explore how water ice is distributed on Mars and the planet's habitability and physical evolution over time.
The orbiter has circled Mars 1,344 times in the last 706 days and obtained mid-resolution visual data of the planet's entire surface.
The CNSA added that the rover has also captured photographs from the South Pole, where almost all of the planet's water resources are locked. In 2018, an orbiting probe operated by the European Space Agency discovered liquid water under the ice of the planet's south pole.
Other Tianwen-1 images include photographs of the 4,000-kilometre-long canyon Valles Marineris and impact craters of highlands in the north of Mars, also known as Arabia Terra.
"The rover, named Zhurong after the god of fire in Chinese mythology, travelled nearly 2 kilometers on Mars and entered hibernation on 18 May due to severe winter weather. It is expected to resume work when spring comes in around December," CGTN reported.
The data of the mission will be released to scientists across the world, the CNSA added.