On July 23, 2020, China launched its first rover mission to Mars. A similar mission will be launched by the United States on July 30, 2020. The mission from both countries is at a time when Earth and Mars are favourably aligned for a short duration. On July 20, 2020, the UAE has launched its first mission to Mars, Hope, from Japan's Tanegashima Space Center. The mission will gather atmospheric data of the Red Planet. Here are some interesting facts about China's mission to Mars:
1- The unnamed Mars probe was lifted off Earth by a Long March 5 rocket at 12:40 local time (0440 GMT). The mission is called 'Tianwen-1' or 'Questions to Heaven'. If China's mission is successful, then it will be the first country to orbit, land and to deploy a rover at Mars in its inaugural mission.
2- The rover is expected to arrive in orbit around Mars in the month of February and will take 7 minutes to land. The rover will be equipped with scientific instruments to observe the atmosphere and surface of Mars to search for water and ice.
3- In the year 2003, China became the third country in the world to send a human into space after the US and the Soviet Union with its own rocket. Earlier, China's joint mission with Russia to send 'Yinghuo-1' satellite failed and the carrier fell in the Pacific Ocean.
4- The targetted location for China's Mars mission will be a flat plain within the Utopia impact basin, north of Mar's equator.
5- Tianwen-1 looks similar to NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers form the year 2000. The rover weighs around 240 kg and is powered by fold-out solar panels.
6- The mission's scientists are expecting at least 90 Martian days of service out of the robot. One day on Mars is equivalent to 24 hours and 39 minutes.
7- It is interesting to note that six spacecraft are already orbiting the Red planet-- three American, two European and one Indian. In addition to these, NASA has two operational spacecraft on the surface.
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