First images from China's rover on Mars to reach Earth by May end

New Delhi : China's Zhurong rover landed successfully on Mars during the weekend, marking a new milestone for country's space mission. While everyone is excited to see how it captured the Red planet, the scientists have said that the first images of Mars from the rover may reach Earth by May end.

The China National Space Administration on Monday issued an official statement confirming the successful landing of its rover on the red planet. This was China's first attempt to land on other planet in the history.

CNSA Deputy Director Wu Yanhua told the state-run China Daily that Zhurong will perform diagnostics and move off its landing platform in the next few days, and that its first photos are expected around the end of May.

CNSA works differently than NASA, which was quick to share first images of the red planet captured from its Perseverance rover in February.

While some of the people criticized China for delay in sharing the images, a journalist from China suggested that the delay is because it is China's first such mission.

There's no reason to fret about the health of the rover yet. Communications between Mars and Earth can be tricky and time-consuming. China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft is in orbit around the planet and will act as a relay for the rover. 

We are excited to see first images from Zhurong. Are you?