China’s successful launch of Mars mission seals global era in deep-space exploration

China’s successful launch of Mars mission seals global era in deep-space exploration

China’s Mars mission launches successfully

China’s spacecraft is on its way to Mars after launching successfully from Hainan Island in southern China. The mission — named Tianwen-1, which means ‘questions to heaven’ — is the country’s first attempt to land on the red planet. The launch seals a global era in deep-space exploration: the United Arab Emirates launched its Hope orbiter earlier this week, and the United States’ Perseverance rover is likely to launch next week. Chinese officials have been tight-lipped about many details of Tianwen-1, but we know that if all goes well the mission will land a six-wheel, solar-powered rover in April.

Nature | 4 min read
Read more: Countdown to Mars: three daring missions take aim at the red planet (Nature | 11 min read)