China announced Wednesday that in late July it will send a probe and a small remote-controlled robot to Mars., event that will become your first mission on the red planet.
The world power invests billions of dollars in its space program, which includes launching satellites, sending a manned mission to the Moon, and launching a new ship in mid-May.
“We will choose an appropriate date during the period between July 20 and 25 for the launch to Mars of the Tianwen-1 probe”, announced the Wenchang Space Launch Center (South China).
“We wish the mission full success in advance!” highlighted the statement on the social network WeChat.
He The journey between Earth and Mars lasts about seven months, so the Chinese probe will not reach its destination before 2021. Although the distance is constantly changing, it is 55 million km minimum.
The mission, baptized “Tianwen” (“Questions to heaven”), have three goals: place a probe in Martian orbit, land it on the surface of the red planet, and then teleguide a robot for analysis.
China has already carried out a similar operation on the Moon, where it deposited in 2013 “Jade Rabbit”, a small remotely guided rover, and then in 2019, to another robot, the latter on the hidden side of the satellite, a world first.
The United States is the country with the largest presence on Mars: it has sent four exploration vehicles to date, and in July it will send the fifth, named “Persistence.”
The United Arab Emirates also wants to join the race to the red planet, with a probe that will be launched from Japan.
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