Compass Futures: China Announces Launch of Mars Probe

China plans to launch a Mars probe in July. (Wikipedia)

China announced on January 23 that it will launch a probe to Mars in July. This was the first time that the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) has set a firm launch date for the mission. 

The probe will launch on the Long March-5 Y4 rocket, which was successfully tested in December. The probe will orbit Mars and deploy a rover, which will land on the surface and search the planet for signs of life. Meanwhile, the orbiting probe will perform environmental analysis. 

Previous Missions

China has never sent a successful probe to Mars. However, in 2011, China made an attempt at a Mars mission by launching the Yinghuo-1 probe. The probe was designed to orbit Mars and measure the planet’s surface and atmosphere. The mission ultimately failed when the probe could not escape Earth’s orbit during launch. 

China’s Ambitions in Space

The announcement of this new mission to Mars is indicative of the Chinese government’s intent to expand its presence in space. Along with this Martian probe, China is also planning to launch its own space station into low Earth orbit. It will be China’s counterpart to the International Space Station, which China is not involved in. China has also been exploring proposals to send a probe to a near-Earth asteroid in 2022. It has even put together plans for establishing a base on the Moon’s south pole. 

“It’s about prestige, the demonstration of technological prowess on the world stage,” Emily Lakdawalla, a solar system specialist at the Planetary Society, told Bloomberg. “If they can stick the landing, they will accomplish something amazing.”