China lands a spacecraft on Mars for the first time

To make a good landing, the scout must go through “seven minutes of agony.” His descent through the Martian atmosphere was complex and proved to be a bridge too far for a number of missions. The Chinese Space Agency confirmed that the landing was successful and President Xi Jinping congratulated all participants.

China is the third country that controls the “rover” landings on Mars. Previously, only the USSR and the United States had succeeded. State TV is paying attention to this important event on the program “Nihao Mars” (“Hello Mars”).

The Chinese named the six-wheeled vehicle Mars after the legendary god of fire. The vehicle flew to Mars in the spacecraft Tianwen-1 (Heavenly Question -1). It was launched in July. The spacecraft reached Earth in February after crossing the arduous 470 million kilometers in about 200 days.

Vehicles, equipped with scientific instruments, are brought to the planet’s surface in a landing capsule. The plane uses parachutes and boosters to slow down on landing. Initially hung about 100 meters above the ground to find a good place.

China wants to use the Zhurong River to find traces of life and map the surface and soil of Mars. The spotlights can travel across the planet’s surface at a speed of about 200 meters per hour and are powered by solar energy.

The Mars mission is not China’s only ambitious space project. It also started in late April with the construction of a near-Earth space station.

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