File photo: CGTN

China’s Tianwen-1 Mars probe successfully completed its second mid-course correction as of 11 pm BJT on Sunday.

Four 120N engines were simultaneously started and ran for 20 seconds, bringing it some 19 million kilometers away from Earth, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said in a statement.

So far, Tianwen-1 has been in orbit for 60 days and a flight distance of about 160 million kilometers. The probe is in good working condition, and the ground measurement and control communication centers and stations are tracking normally.

Tianwen-1, China’s first Mars probe, made its first orbital correction on August 2, when the probe had traveled for approximately 230 hours, and was some 3 million kilometers away from Earth.

Mid-course correction generally refers to the correction of the track deviation caused by various reasons during the flight of the probe. The accuracy of Tianwen-1’s launch into orbit and the first mid-course correction was very high, and only a few corrections were made this time, experts said.

Tianwen-1 will have several mid-course corrections during the flight towards Mars, and will carry out scientific research on it when it lands.