China releases new footage of its Zhurong Mars rover

China’s National Space Administration has released new footage captured by the country’s Mars rover.

The videos show the Zhurong rover of the Tianwen-1 spacecraft deploying a parachute to descend to the Martian surface. The rover then drives away from its landing platform and trundles across the surface of the Red Planet.

The rover, named after a mythical Chinese fire god, is studying the landscape and collecting rock samples.

China’s Tianwen-1 mission launched in July 2020 and arrived at Mars in February, marking a triumph for Beijing’s space ambitions.