Chinese researchers are tracking the country's first Mars probe with the help of a very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) orbit determination system. China launched its Mars probe, Tianwen-1, on July 23, kicking off the country's independent planetary exploration mission. Researchers from the Sheshan Mountain VLBI Station with the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have been tracking the probe and collecting data since its launch. VLBI is a type of astronomical interferometry used in radio astronomy, as it can collect accurate data and increase its angular resolution during astronomical observation. China's VLBI system is composed of four stations located in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming and Urumqi and a VLBI data analysis center at the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory.
