China's Mars probe travels over 300 million kilometers
Updated 11:06, 17-Nov-2020
CGTN
CCTV

CCTV

China's Mars probe Tianwen-1 had traveled 300 million kilometers in space by early Tuesday morning (Beijing time), with all systems functioning well, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). 

Since its launch on July 23, the probe has flown for 116 days in space and is currently around 63.8 km away from the earth, CNSA said.  

In early November, Tianwen-1 completed the first on-orbit self-checks of the multiple systems of its lander and rover, all with sound results.   

During its flight, the probe conducted three orbital corrections on August 2, September 20 and October 28, and one deep-space maneuver on October 9.  

The spacecraft is expected to reach the red planet around February 2021 and enter a low orbit around Mars in May 2021. The lander and rover will then separate from the orbiter and land softly on Mars. The rover will leave the landing platform to explore the planet.