China says its Tianwen-1 spacecraft has orbited Mars around a mission to land a rover and collect data on groundwater and possible signs of old life
BEIJING – A Chinese spacecraft entered Mars orbit Wednesday on a mission to land a rover and collect data about groundwater and possible signs of ancient life, state media reported.
“The Chinese Tianwen-1 probe successfully entered orbit around Mars on Wednesday after a nearly seven-month journey from Earth,” Xinhua News Agency said in a brief report.
The orbiter-rover combo became the second spacecraft in two days to reach the red planet. An orbiter from the United Arab Emirates led the way Tuesday.
Next week, the U.S. will attempt to land its Perseverance rover on the Martian surface. Only the US has successfully landed on Mars – eight times starting with two Viking missions. Lander and rover work today.
The three Mars missions were launched last July to take advantage of the planet’s close connection to Earth that only happens every two years.
China’s mission remains its most ambitious goal. If all goes as planned, the rover would detach from the spacecraft in a few months and try to rub. If all goes as planned, China would be the second country to do so successfully.
Tianwen, the title of an old poem, means “Quest for Heavenly Truth. ”
It is very difficult to land a spaceship on Martian land, and parachutes, reloading rockets and airbags take over China ‘s effort. The landing site is located within Utopia Planitia, a large rock, where the US Viking Landlord 2 crashed in 1976.
The solar-powered rover – about the size of a golf cart – is expected to operate for about three months, and the orbiter for two years.
Only the US has successfully landed on Mars – eight times starting with the two Viking missions. Lander and rover work today.
A U.S. rover called Perseverance is aiming for a February 18 orbit on Mars to also find signs of the life of an ancient microscope and to gather rocks for a return to Earth in the next decade.
An UAE orbiter called Amal, Arabic for Hope, began orbiting the red planet Tuesday to gather detailed data about the atmosphere of Mars.
Six others were already working around Mars: three USs, two Europeans and one Indian.
There are many others who did not. A Russian and European spacecraft shatters the Martian landscape alongside a failed U.S. lawyer. About a dozen orbiters lost the signal.
Tianwen-1 is the second attempt in China to send a spacecraft to Mars. In 2011, a Chinese orbiter that was part of a Russian mission did not make it out of Earth orbit.
A secret, military-linked space program in China has come a long way since then. In December, the Chang’e 5 mission was the first to bring lunar rocks to Earth since the 1970s. China was also the first country to land a spacecraft on the other side of the moon in 2019.