China Launches First Mars Probe 'Tianwen-1'... Plans for Mars Surface Landing and Exploration (Update)

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] China's first Mars probe, 'Tianwen-1,' was launched aboard China's rocket, the 'Long March 5.' If the probe lands on the Martian surface as planned around February next year, China is expected to become the third space power in the world to successfully land on Mars, following the United States and Russia.

On the 23rd, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that at 12:41 PM local time, Tianwen-1 was launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan. Tianwen-1 was loaded onto China's largest carrier rocket, the Long March 5. The probe consists of a lunar lander and a surface exploration robot rover. If the launch is successful, it is scheduled to arrive in Mars orbit in February next year, land on the Martian surface, and carry out exploration missions.

Tianwen-1 will conduct extensive surveys of the entire Martian surface, and the rover that lands on the surface will communicate with Earth to investigate Mars' geological structure, soil characteristics, and the distribution of water and ice. The lander is planned to touch down on the Utopia Planitia in northern Mars, an area believed to contain large amounts of ice. The rover is equipped with solar panels and is designed to perform its mission for about 90 days.

If China succeeds in landing and exploring Mars, it will become the third country in the world to successfully land on Mars after the United States and Russia, solidifying its position as a space power. Previously, in 2011, China launched the Mars probe 'Yinghuo-1' aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket together with a Russian Mars probe, but the mission failed as it did not escape Earth's orbit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.