A new video of Tianwen-1 flying above Mars is pretty epic

Enlarge / China's Tianwen-1 spacecraft flies above Mars. (credit: CNSA)

China celebrates the start of a new year on Tuesday-it will be the Year of the Tiger-and on the eve of the holiday, the Chinese space program sent a special message from the red planet.

The country's Tianwen-1 spacecraft, which has been in orbit around Mars for nearly one year, captured a "selfie" video that shows the craft passing in front of the planet. This video was taken by a camera on the end of a narrow arm that extends 1.6 meters away from the vehicle and is used by operators to monitor the health of the spacecraft.

Highlights of the visuals include Tianwen-1's waggling solar panels, main engine, and fuel tanks. About halfway through, the ice-capped northern pole of Mars appears in the background as Tianwen-1 makes its orbit around the planet.

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