China's Mars probe travels 137 million km

BEIJING -- China's Mars probe Tianwen-1 has traveled 137 million km, said sources with the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration.

As of 9 am Friday, the probe was in stable condition at a distance of more than 15.3 million km away from Earth, according to a center statement.

The probe captured a photo of Earth and the moon in late July, and completed its first mid-course orbital correction in early August.

China launched the Mars probe on July 23, kicking off the country's independent planetary exploration mission. The spacecraft, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, is expected to reach the red planet around February 2021.

When arriving at Mars, the probe will be about 195 million km from Earth with an actual flight distance of 470 million km, said the center.