Launch currently scheduled for 23 Jul, time not yet announced. Please post updates here as you find them.

This site says the launch is around 04:00 GMT.
http://lk.astronautilus.pl/plan.htm

It's in Polish and says: "23.07.2020 około 04:00 z wyrzutni LC101 kosmodromu Wenchang wystrzelona zostanie RN CZ-5/YZ-2, która wyniesie na trajektorię międzyplanetarną wiodącą ku Marsowi sondę Tianwen-1."

which means (Google translate)
On July 23, 2020 around 04:00, the RN CZ-5 / YZ-2 will be launched from the Wenchang spacecraft LC101, which will carry the Tianwen-1 probe to the interplanetary trajectory leading to Mars.

Good mission overview article here. 3-hr launch window opens 23 Jul/0400 GMT.

CCTV-13 just devoted the first 10 minutes of their evening bulletin to Tianwen-1. I missed the start, so I don't know if they flagged live coverage of the launch. I recorded most of the segment, but I'm pretty sure I can't post here (moderators?). Can someone translate the commentary? I can share the file by dropbox and s/he and I can then post a summary.

The main evening news on CCTV-1 just spent 100 seconds on Tianwen-1 without apparently mentioning a launch date or plans for live coverage. Agan, I recorded it if anyone wants to take a crack at translating?

Unfortunately, yeah, a 10-min video file would be wayyyy too large to post here, ollopa. However, please feel free to post a link to it if you can host it somewhere. How big is the 100 sec file?

SciNews has since posted an edited version with English sub-titles: https://bit.ly/Tianwen-1

I am still interested in linking up with someone interested in collaborating in fast-turnaround translations of Chinese TV reports (including Chang'e and Tianwen)

Spaceflight Now reporting launch time is 0445 GMT, or roughly 1 hr 45 min from now as I write this. Anybody got a lead on live coverage if any is to be had?

Alan Boyle has links to a couple of Chinese language feeds. One is showing what looks like a live picture from Wenchang.

Alan Boyle's Twitter

Go Tianwen-1

Looks like they launched, according to the unofficial streams.
Now the wait begins...

Thanks for the link, Ron. That video was...uh...unique.

Safe travels, Tianwen-1!!!

Tianwen-1 deployed a camera that took images of the spacecraft en route to Mars.
There's also a .gif showing the camera deploying taken from Tianwen-1.
https://twitter.com/Cosmic_Penguin/status/1...497637351231491

This page has some information about how these selfi photos have been taken (in Chinese). [or actually: how and for what purpose ]

There is also a rather illustrative animation.

Below are some quotes from this page - a very coarse Google translation:

"...A camera weighing only 680 grams is unlocked, and it is gradually moving away from the spacecraft at a speed of about 0.2 meters per second; while gradually moving away from the spacecraft, "Tianwen-1" with the national flag is taken from near to far. Considering that the camera may turn over as it gradually moves away, the development team designed the camera as a dual-camera to ensure that the camera can capture as many spacecraft images as possible during the turning process..."

"...The separation device enables the camera to "differentiate"; the use of color imaging, with two resolutions of 800×600 and 1600×1200, allows the image to be “clearly captured”; the use of super-strong WiFi communication that can achieve 400 meters of wireless communication allows Data can be "passed back"; the use of disposable batteries that can provide power for longer than 1 hour allows the camera to "stick it" and allows the ground to see the full picture of the "Tianwen-1"..."


"...On October 1, on the occasion of the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, the National Space Administration released the flight images of the "Tianwen-1" probe, and the five-star red flag was shining in space..."

A very interesting paper has just been released in the 'accepted' paper category by the Journal of Deep Space Exploration:

http://jdse.bit.edu.cn/sktcxb/en/article/d...020.20190708001

"Analysis and selection of landing areas for China 2020 Mars Mission"

It's in Chinese, but an English version will probably appear soon in another journal - that's common practice. The abstract is in English as well as Chinese.

The illustrations show the sites. 2 are in Chryse, 5 are in the Isidis region and one is in the highlands about 1000 km west of InSight. One site is in Jezero crater, but the three favoured sites (e, f and g) are in Isidis, I will make some illustrations of the sites soon, but for a start here is the Isidis set:

Click to view attachment

(Gale crater is at bottom right)

Phil

These are the sites described by Wang et al. in that paper. However, don't get too excited. I have come to the conclusion that these are part of an academic exercise in site selection which is not necessarily anything to do with the flight project. There were lots of similar studies for Chang'e 3, 4 and 5.

Phil

Click to view attachment

Would be interesting though to see Tianwen race Perseverance to see who can get to the otherside of the crater first.
Race results will beam to Earth 20 minutes after finish of the months long event.

I cannot see any of the images in this topic (specifically those in posts 13,15,16) unless I am logged in to the site. As a guest I can still see the images in other topics such as MSL, but not this one.

Right - if I look at it when not logged in, I don't see them either, and I can't download them from what looks like a link unless I log in.

Phil