Tianwen-1 (TW-1, literally Heavenly Questions) is an interplanetary mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to send a robotic spacecraft to Mars, consisting of an orbiter, deployable camera, lander and the Zhurong rover. The spacecraft, with a total mass of nearly five tons, is one of the heaviest probes launched to Mars and carries 13 scientific instruments.
The scientific objectives of the mission
relate to the geology of Mars, the current and past presence of water, the
internal structure of the planet, identification of minerals and rock types on
the surface, as well as characterization of the space environment and
atmosphere of Mars.
The mission's three spacecraft was
launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on 23 July 2020 on a Long
March 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle. After seven months of transit, it entered
orbit around Mars on 10 February 2021. For
the next three months the space probe studied the target landing sites from a
reconnaissance orbit. On 14 May 2021, the lander successfully landed on Mars. With the landing, China became the third
nation to achieve a successful soft landing on Mars, after the Soviet Union and
the United States. If the deployment of
the rover is also successful, China would become only the second nation to
accomplish this feat, after the United States, and the first nation to orbit,
land and release a rover during its first mission to arrive at Mars.
The Tianwen-1 mission was the second of
three Martian exploration missions launched during the July 2020 window, with
missions also launched by the national space agencies of the United Arab
Emirates (Emirates Mars Mission with the Hope orbiter) and the United States (Mars 2020 with the Perseverance
rover and Ingenuity helicopter drone).
Landing on Mars May 14
At 23:18 UTC, on 14 May 2021, the
Tianwen-1 lander successfully landed in the preselected landing area in the
southern part of the Mars Utopia Planitia.
The landing phase began with the release of the protective capsule
containing the lander/rover. The capsule made an atmospheric entry followed by
a descent phase under parachute, after which the lander used retro-propulsion to
soft-land on Mars.
Current plans call for the lander to
deploy the rover Zhurong on 22 May 2021. The
rover is designed to explore the surface for 90 sols;
its height is about 1.85 m (6.1 ft) and it has a mass of about
240 kg (530 lb). After the planned rover deployment, the orbiter
would serve as a telecommunications relay for the rover while continuing to
conduct its own orbital observations of Mars.
Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in
response to the landing, "You were brave enough for the challenge, pursued
excellence and placed our country in the advanced ranks of planetary
exploration. Your outstanding achievement will forever be etched in the memories
of the motherland and the people.
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