Surprise gifts prove a hit with students

When newly admitted college students receive letters of admission from Harbin Institute of Technology in Heilongjiang province this summer, they may get more than they expect — as in a special red bookmark coated in a special material used by Tianwen 1, China's first mission to Mars program.

"The coating, independently developed by the institute, integrates properties of anti-irradiation, hypoallergenic and resistance to drastic temperature swings," said Wu Xiaohong, a professor at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. "It can avoid issues such as color degradation and coating shedding in the extreme environment of deep space."

The coating has been applied to the Chinese flag displayed on Tianwen 1's Martian orbiter and the red patterns of the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic mascots Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon carried on its landing platform.