China undertakes landing test for its first Mars mission, will begin operations in 2020

Huailai, Reuters. China competing with India in space is serious about the Mars mission. China successfully conducted a landing test in northern Hebei province for its unnamed Mars mission on Thursday. China’s chief of the National Space Administration, Zhang Kejan, told foreign diplomats and media before the test that China was in the right direction for the Mars mission.

High lights

• In 2016 China formally started working on its Mars mission.
• This mission of China will be in 2020, it will take seven months to reach Mars.
• By 2022, he will be able to set up his own manned space station.

The test was done in Huailai

The lander landing on Mars underwent trials and cruises and hurdles at the Huilai location northwest of Beijing. This place is like the uneven surface of Mars on which there are small mounds of rocks. According to Zhang, in 2016 China formally started work on the Mars mission. Cruises and obstacle removal tests are a difficult part for the Mars lander and it is an important part of development.

March-5 rocket developed

China has developed a Long March-5 rocket that will land the lander on Mars after a seven-month trip. According to Mars mission chief K Zhang Rongqiao, it will take seven months to reach Mars, while the landing will take seven minutes. He said that landing is the most difficult and challenging phase.

Still behind us

Earlier this year, China’s rover landed on the moon, which made a soft landing. China is spending crores of rupees for its space program. Beijing hopes to be able to set up its own manned space station by 2022. Is spending more than Russia and Japan for its civil and military space programs. However, he still lags behind the US.