BEIJING, June 6 (Xinhua) -- As of Friday morning, the Tianwen-2 probe had been operating smoothly in orbit for over eight days, reaching a distance of more than 3 million kilometers from Earth, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA) Friday.

The CNSA also released an image captured by the probe, showing the unfolding of its circular solar panels.

China launched its first asteroid sample-return mission, Tianwen-2, on May 29. ■