Beijing, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of Mars rover testing
2. Sand of testing ground being displayed
3. Various of cameras on Mars rover
4. Various of Mars rover moving, wheels of Mars rover
5. Various of solar panel, Mars rover

FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown (China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Various of animation showing Mars rover moving after landing

Subtle design and careful experiments can enable China's Tianwen-1 probe to better adapt itself to Mars for the exploring mission, according to scientists with China Academy of Space Technology.

Tianwen-1 is an interplanetary mission to Mars by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to send a robotic spacecraft, which consists of an orbiter, deployable camera, lander and a rover. The mission was successfully launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on July 23, 2020 with a Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket.

China Academy of Space Technology has built a testing ground to conduct simulated test for China's first Mars mission.

Tianwen-1 is expected to collect samples of sand and rock from Mars.

To help the rover fulfill its mission, its designers have used sand and stones to simulate various terrains on Mars surface.

The research mission members have chosen silicon carbides out of more than 20 candidates found on the Earth.

Scientists explained that the material has similar characteristics with the Mars sand in terms of mechanics and the reflection of light.

The rover is equipped with four cameras of two kinds: one can detect things in distance to plan the route while the other can catch a wider view to avoid obstacles.

Scientists said the two types would coordinate to guide the rover to move forward or to stop.

The six-wheeled rover is able to walk like an insect to climb out of pits or move sideways like a crab to overcome obstacles.

According to the designers, the power system of Tianwen-1 is much larger than those on the lunar rovers Yutu and Yutu-2.

They said four solar panel wings have been attached to enable the rover to have enough power as the red planet lies much further from the Sun than the Earth does.

Research staff members said that the wings, organized like a butterfly, can be easily folded up.

The rover, highly sensitive to the environment, can automatically suspend the work in severe weathers to protect the equipment and resume work when the weather turns better.

China's first Mars exploration mission announced that Tianwen-1 probe successfully entered the orbit around Mars on Wednesday after a nearly seven-month voyage from the Earth.

It will conduct multiple orbital corrections to enter a temporary Mars parking orbit, surveying potential landing sites in preparation to land at an appropriate time in May.