Chinese spacecraft captures rare images of Mars

A Chinese spacecraft has captured images of Mars circling around the planet over 13 hundred times

The crewless shuttle reached the Red Planet early last year… deploying a robotic rover.

Some of the photos captured the south pole… a first for China.

The area is known for its large water reserve… hidden under the south pole ice, which was detected by the European Space Agency’s orbiting probe.

Water is a key element in determining whether a planet has the potential for life.

Other images include a 4,000 kilometre long canyon and impact craters in the north of Mars.