China ’s Tianwen-1 is now on its mode to Mars . The Asian state ’s first mission to the Red Planet lifted off on a Long March 5 rocket from Wenchang spaceport on Hainan Island on July 23 at 12:40 local fourth dimension ( 23:40 ET July 22 ) . The mission is a triple threat of geographic expedition , consisting of an satellite , a lander , and a rover .
The mission is expected to come at Mars in February , but the rover - lander yoke wo n’t be station down immediately . The China National Space Administration ( CNSA ) will hold off for optimal atmospheric conditions before attempting a landing , likely the most grave part of the mission .
" China ’s first Mars commission is named Tianwen-1 , which mean Questions to the Heaven , and come from a verse form write by Qu Yuan ( about 340 - 278 BC ) , one of the great poets of ancient China . The name signifies the Taiwanese land ’s perseverance in act on truth and scientific discipline and exploring nature and the universe , " sound out the CNSA in astatement .
The orbiter portion of Tianwen-1 will study the terrain and charismatic properties of the Red Planet . In its suit of instruments , it sports a high - resolution camera that can crack picture with a resolving power of 2 meters ( 6.6 feet ) from a 400 - kilometer ( 250 - mi ) domain . These wo n’t be as keen as NASA ’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’sHiRISE photographic camera , but to be fair Tianwen-1 will be 25 pct further from the planet .
The lander portion is expected to be alike to Chang’e-4 , China ’s deputation that bring on the far side of the Moon in recent 2018 and give us ourfirst - ever picturestaken from there . After Tianwen-1 successfully lands in Utopia Planitia , the lander will relinquish the wanderer .
The location might surround some bells if you are passionate about Mars geographic expedition . This is where NASA ’s Viking 2 landed in 1976 . Also , NASA discoveredlarge ice depositsunder this region from eye socket .
One particular feature of the missionary work is a ground - penetrate radar that will allow researchers to map up to 100 meters ( 330 infantry ) below the Martian surface . Humans have barely scraped the surface of the major planet with robots and Lander , so this will provide new information about what lie beneath .
Mars is an inhospitable world with no water supply , slight atmospheric state , frigid temperatures , and acute solar radiation . However , it ’s potential for life to have evolved underground , which is why exploring under the Earth’s surface is key .
Tianwen-1 is not alone on its journeying to Mars . The United Arab Emirates have launched theirMars orbiter Hopejust this workweek , and NASA ’s Mars 2020 missionary station will fly on July 30 .
