Stunning footage of the Zhurong rover beginning its exploration of the surface of Mars has been released by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The clips of the six-wheeled rover trundling across the Red Planet were captured by a wireless camera that the rover had placed on the ground. They were then relayed back to Earth via the Tianwen-1 satellite which brought the rover to Mars and is presently orbiting the Red Planet. Also released yesterday was previously unseen footage from the Zhurong rover's landing back on May 15 -- and its deployment from the Lander platform on May 22. Footage and photos were relayed back to Earth via the Tianwen-1 satellite which brought the rover to Mars and is presently orbiting the Red Planet. Pictured: part of a panorama of the Martian surface taken by Zhurong.

A small quadrupedal robot named'SpaceBok' is set to be the first powered machine to walk across the surface of Mars. Other rovers on the Red Planet, such as NASA's Perseverance and Curiosity, sport gigantic wheels that limit where they can travel. However, SpaceBok's four legs will allow it to climb over rough terrain and possibly search for signs of life that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. The robot was initially developed to trek across the moon and was programmed to leap instead of walk, but SpaceBok's makers have redesigned it to take on Mars. A small quadrupedal robot named'SpaceBok' will be the first powered machine to walk across the surface of Mars It is not clear when SpaceBok will venture to Mars, but DailyMail.com

China's space agency has released the first photos taken by the Zhurong rover on Mars, showing parts of its lander and the red planet itself. The Tianwen-1 mission arrived at its destination on May 15th, making China the second nation to successfully soft-land on Mars after the US. One of the photos is a colored image (above) taken by the navigation camera mounted at the rear of the rover. It features Zhurong's solar panels and unfolded antennae, along with a view of the planet's red soil and rocks. The other photo (below) is a black-and-white image taken by an obstacle avoidance camera installed in front of the rover. It was captured using a wide-angle lens, so it not only shows a ramp from the lander extending to the surface of the planet, but also the Martian horizon.

The six-wheeled robot has made the hazardous descent to the surface of the Red Planet, China announces.