BEIJING: Two days after the United Arab Emirates’ “Hope” probe, a Chinese spacecraft on Wednesday entered Mars’ orbit on a mission to land a rover collect data on underground water and possible signs of ancient life.
The United Arab Emirates’ “Hope” probe on Tuesday successfully entered Mars’ orbit, making history as the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, China’s probe Tianwen-1 successfully entered the orbit around Mars today after a nearly seven-month voyage from Earth.
Tianwen-1 is China’s second attempt to send a spacecraft to Mars. In 2011, a Chinese orbiter that was part of a Russian mission didn’t make it out of Earth’s orbit.
China’s secretive, military-linked space program has progressed considerably since then. In December, its Change 5 mission was the first to bring lunar rocks to Earth since the 1970s. China was also the first country to land a spacecraft on the little-explored far side of the moon in 2019.
The Chinese mission is it’s most ambitious yet. If all goes as planned, the rover would separate from the spacecraft in a few months and attempt to touch down. If things go as planned, China would become only the second nation to do so successfully.
A US rover called Perseverance is also aiming for a February 18 touchdown next week on Mars to search for signs of ancient microscopic life and to collect rocks for a return to Earth in the next decade. All three Mars missions launched last July to take advantage of the planet’s close alignment with Earth that occurs only every two years.
Only the US has successfully touched down on Mars — eight times beginning with the two Viking missions. A lander and rover are in operation today.
Landing a spacecraft on Martian soil is notoriously difficult, and China’s attempt will involve a parachute, back-firing rockets and airbags. Its proposed landing site is inside the massive, rock-strewn, Utopia Planitia, where the US Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976. Six others were already operating around Mars: three US, two European and one Indian.
Pakistan has congratulated the leadership and people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the success of the Emirate’s Mars mission ‘Hope Probe’.
According to the foreign office spokesman, the successful Mars mission was a testament to the vision of the UAE leadership, and pride for its people, as well as Muslim Ummah.
Congratulations to the leadership and people of the UAE on the outstanding success of Emirates' Mars Mission #HopeProbe – a testament to the vision of the UAE leadership, and a pride for its people, as well as Muslim Ummah.
@MoFAICUAE— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) February 10, 2021
