China's first Mars mission, Tianwen-1, successfully enters orbit around Red Planet

[Nocturnowl]

Source: Space.com

By Mike Wall 2 hours ago

China has made it to Mars.

The nation's first fully homegrown Mars mission, Tianwen-1, arrived in orbit around the Red Planet today (Feb. 10), according to Chinese media reports.

The milestone makes China the sixth entity to get a probe to Mars, joining the United States, the Soviet Union, the European Space Agency, India and the United Arab Emirates, whose Hope orbiter made it to the Red Planet just yesterday (Feb. 9).

And today's achievement sets the stage for something even more epic a few months from now -- the touchdown of Tianwen-1's lander-rover pair on a large plain in Mars' northern hemisphere called Utopia Planitia, which is expected to take place this May. (China doesn't typically publicize details of its space missions in advance, so we don't know for sure exactly when that landing will occur.)

Read more: https://www.space.com/china-first-mars-mission-tianwen-1-enters-orbit

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Our future in space is set, America: We will be the Portuguese, the Italians, the Dutch of the Solar System. On Earth, those countries pioneered exploration of the New World, then throttled way down while Britain, Spain and France surpassed them and established!

[drray23]

1. nasa is landing a rover on february 21st. nt.

[Nocturnowl]

4. We've done that before

And before. And before. That's my point: We've stagnated, while the Chinese are making leaps!

[drray23]

5. science is incremental.

We have indeed been exploring and gathering data for a decade or more on the martian soil. Other countries are now just getting around to orbit and land probes.

With the data we have accumulated we identified an area with potential for signs of life. This is where this new rover is going.
The big step forward is that unlike previous missions where analysis was done in situ with onboard instruments, we are going to actually collect samples and fly them back to earth. That is a giant step forward. Not only because of the samples but also because we basically will have shown we can fly round trips to Mars.

This paves the way for human exploration especially given that there is a strong partnership.between nasa and private companies like space-x. Musk is dead set on doing that and all of these missions pave the way for it.

oh i was wrong by the way, its february 18th not 21st.

https://theconversation.com/bringing-mars-rocks-back-to-earth-perseverance-rover-lands-on-feb-18-a-lead-scientist-explains-the-tech-and-goals-153851

[Nocturnowl]

6. SCIENCE is Incremental

Acting on that science requires boldness, and the Chinese are running out the rope!

[Nitram]

8. I agree. And we can do a lot more science remotely and for a far lower cost when we use a robot

instead of a human being.

[electric_blue68]

7. I believe it's Feb 18th nt

[FarPoint]

2. I am beginning to think there is something....

really of great value there on Mars....

[LiberalArkie]

3. Maybe they have calculated an asteroid path that will hit Earth in 50 or so years?

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

9. Perhaps the Chinese can create a successful self-sustaining colony on Mars, ...

... if anyone can. They have societal discipline, which will be necessary. We can't even get people to keep distance and wear masks. We'd have no chance on an alien planet.