A lander for China’s Mars mission is seen before a hovering-and-obstacle avoidance test at a test facility in Huailai, Hebei province, China. — Reuters photo
HUAILAI, China: China yesterday successfully completed a crucial landing test in northern Hebei province ahead of a historic unmanned exploration mission to Mars next year.
China is on track to launch its Mars mission, Zhang Kejian, head of the China National Space Administration, said yesterday, speaking to foreign diplomats and the media before the test.
The Mars lander underwent a hovering-and-obstacle avoidance test at a sprawling site in Huailai, northwest of Beijing.
“In 2016, China officially began the Mars exploration mission work, and currently all of the different development work is progressing smoothly,” Zhang said.
“The hovering-and-obstacle avoidance test for the Mars lander being carried out today makes up a crucial part of the development process. As scheduled, China’s first Mars exploration mission will take place in 2020.”
China has developed the powerful Long March 5 rocket to transport the probe to Mars in 2020.
The journey through space will take about seven months, while landing will take seven minutes, said Zhang Rongqiao, chief architect of the Mars exploration programme.
The landing will be the toughest and most challenging stage, he said.
The same Long March 5 rocket is meant to deliver the Chang’e-5 probe to the moon by the end of 2019 or early next year to bring back samples of lunar rocks. — Reuters