China’s Tianwen 1 Probe Images Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
BEIJING – China’s Tianwen 1 spacecraft has successfully captured images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, the China national Space Administration (CNSA) announced on November 5. the images, acquired by a high-resolution camera, reveal the comet’s nucleus and surrounding coma, which spans several thousand kilometers in diameter.
This observation represents an important extension mission for Tianwen 1, allowing for technical tests and experience gathering crucial for China’s future deep-space exploration endeavors. The ability to observe faint celestial bodies is notably valuable as the nation prepares for its second deep-space mission,Tianwen 2,currently en route to sample a near-Earth asteroid.
Launched in July 2020, Tianwen 1 was China’s inaugural planetary exploration mission, achieving orbit around Mars in February 2021. Its accompanying Zhurong rover landed in the Utopia Planitia region of mars in May 2021 and operated on the martian surface for approximately one Earth year.
According to CNSA,the data received from 3I/ATLAS was processed and displayed by a ground-based submission system. The images provide a clear view of the comet’s structure, furthering scientific understanding of these rare interstellar visitors. Tianwen 2, launched in May, will build upon the experience gained from Tianwen 1 as it pursues its asteroid sampling mission.
