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| mission_type = Planetary science with an orbiter, lander and rover |
| mission_type = Planetary science with an orbiter, lander and rover |
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| operator = [[China National Space Administration]] |
| operator = [[China National Space Administration]] (CNSA) |
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| COSPAR_ID = 2020-049A |
| COSPAR_ID = 2020-049A |
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| SATCAT = 45935 |
| SATCAT = 45935 |
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| mission_duration = {{time interval|23 July 2020 04:41|show=dhm|sep=,}} (''since launch'')<br/>Orbiter: 2 Earth years (planned)<br/>Rover: 90 sols (planned)<ref name="Xinhua 03212016">{{cite news |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-03/21/c_135209176.htm|title=China Exclusive: China's aim to explore Mars|publisher=Xinhua News|date=21 March 2016|access-date=2016-03-24}}</ref> |
| mission_duration = {{time interval|23 July 2020 04:41|show=dhm|sep=,}} (''since launch'')<br/>Orbiter: 2 Earth years (planned)<br/>Rover: 90 sols (planned)<ref name="Xinhua 03212016">{{cite news |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-03/21/c_135209176.htm|title=China Exclusive: China's aim to explore Mars|publisher=Xinhua News|date=21 March 2016|access-date=2016-03-24}}</ref> |
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| spacecraft_type = [[List of Mars orbiters|Orbiter]], lander, |
| spacecraft_type = [[List of Mars orbiters|Orbiter]],<br/>[[Lander (spacecraft)|lander]],<br/>[[Mars rover|rover]],<br/>TW-1 Deployable Camera (TDC) |
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| manufacturer = [[China National Space Administration]] |
| manufacturer = [[China National Space Administration]] |
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| launch_mass = Total: {{cvt|5000|kg}}<br/>Orbiter: {{cvt|3175|kg}}<br/>Rover:{{cvt|240|kg}} |
| launch_mass = Total: {{cvt|5000|kg}}<br/>Orbiter: {{cvt|3175|kg}}<br/>Rover:{{cvt|240|kg}} |
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| landing_mass = |
| landing_mass = |
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| launch_rocket = [[Long March 5]] |
| launch_rocket = [[Long March 5]] |
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| launch_site = [[Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site|Wenchang]], LC-101 |
| launch_site = [[Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site|Wenchang]], LC-101 |
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| launch_contractor = [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]] ( |
| launch_contractor = [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]] (CASC) |
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{{Infobox spaceflight/IP |
{{Infobox spaceflight/IP |
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| type = orbiter |
| type = orbiter |
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| object = [[Mars]] |
| object = [[Mars]] |
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| orbits = <!--number of orbits completed at target body (if applicable and known)--> |
| orbits = <!-- number of orbits completed at target body (if applicable and known) --> |
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| component = Orbiter |
| component = Orbiter |
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| arrival_date = 10 February 2021 <ref name="cnsa.gov.cn">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n6758838/c6810497/content.html|title=Tiān wèn yī hào tàncè qì fēixíng lǐchéng túpò 3 yì qiān mǐ |date=17 November 2020|access-date=12 January 2021|language=Chinese|trans-title=Tianwen-1 Has Flown More Than 300 Million Kilometers}}</ref><ref name="NSF orbit insertion"/> |
| arrival_date = 10 February 2021 <ref name="cnsa.gov.cn">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/n6758823/n6758838/c6810497/content.html|title=Tiān wèn yī hào tàncè qì fēixíng lǐchéng túpò 3 yì qiān mǐ |date=17 November 2020|access-date=12 January 2021|language=Chinese|trans-title=Tianwen-1 Has Flown More Than 300 Million Kilometers}}</ref><ref name="NSF orbit insertion"/> |
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| insignia = China Mars Exploration Mission Logo-2.png |
| insignia = China Mars Exploration Mission Logo-2.png |
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| insignia_caption = |
| insignia_caption = China Mars Exploration mission logo<br/>({{zh|c=中国行星探测}}) Mars logo |
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| insignia_alt = Chinese Planetary Exploration Mars logo |
| insignia_alt = Chinese Planetary Exploration Mars logo |
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| insignia_size = 200px |
| insignia_size = 200px |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''Tianwen-1''''' (TW-1) ({{zh|t={{linktext|天}}{{linktext|問}}|s={{linktext|天}}{{linktext|问}}|l=heavenly questions}}) is an interplanetary mission by the [[China National Space Administration]] (CNSA) to send a robotic spacecraft to Mars, consisting of an [[orbiter]], deployable camera, [[lander (spacecraft)|lander]] and [[Mars rover|rover]]. The mission was successfully launched from the [[Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site]] on 23 July 2020<ref name="AJ23July2020">{{cite news|last1=Jones|first1=Andrew|title=Tianwen-1 launches for Mars, marking dawn of Chinese interplanetary exploration|url=https://spacenews.com/tianwen-1-launches-for-mars-marking-dawn-of-chinese-interplanetary-exploration/|access-date=23 July 2020| |
'''''Tianwen-1''''' (TW-1) ({{zh|t={{linktext|天}}{{linktext|問}}|s={{linktext|天}}{{linktext|问}}|l=heavenly questions}}) is an interplanetary mission by the [[China National Space Administration]] (CNSA) to send a robotic spacecraft to [[Mars]], consisting of an [[orbiter]], deployable camera, [[lander (spacecraft)|lander]] and [[Mars rover|rover]]. The mission was successfully launched from the [[Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site]] on 23 July 2020 <ref name="AJ23July2020">{{cite news|last1=Jones|first1=Andrew|title=Tianwen-1 launches for Mars, marking dawn of Chinese interplanetary exploration |url=https://spacenews.com/tianwen-1-launches-for-mars-marking-dawn-of-chinese-interplanetary-exploration/|access-date=23 July 2020|publisher=SpaceNews|date=23 July 2020}}</ref> on a [[Long March 5]] heavy-lift [[launch vehicle]] and is currently in orbit around Mars, having reached planetary orbit on 10 February 2021.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Roulette|first1=Joey|title=Three countries are due to reach Mars in the next two weeks|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/5/22266752/uae-china-nasa-mars-missions|publisher=The Verge|access-date=7 February 2021|date=5 February 2021}}</ref><ref name="NSF orbit insertion">{{cite web |last1=Gebhardt|first1=Chris|title=China, with Tianwen-1, begins tenure at Mars with successful orbital arrival|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/02/china-ready-to-begin-mars-tenure-with-tianwen-1-orbit-insertion/|publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com|access-date=10 February 2021|date=10 February 2021}}</ref> |
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In September 2020 ''Tianwen-1'' deployed the TW-1 Deployable Camera (TDC), a small satellite with two cameras that took photos of and tested a [[Wi-Fi]] connection with ''Tianwen-1''.<ref name=":0">{{ |
In September 2020 ''Tianwen-1'' deployed the TW-1 Deployable Camera (TDC), a small satellite with two cameras that took photos of and tested a [[Wi-Fi]] connection with ''Tianwen-1''.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Clark|first=Stephen|title=China's Mars-bound probe returns self-portrait from deep space|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/10/06/chinas-mars-bound-probe-returns-self-portrait-from-deep-space/ |publisher=Spaceflight Now|access-date=2020-12-14}}</ref> ''Tianwen-1'' also completed two mid-course orbital corrections and performed self diagnostics on multiple payloads.<ref>{{cite web|title=China's Mars probe completes deep-space maneuver|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-10/10/c_139429028.htm?fbclid=IwAR2cHzOVF_tamGCsWcG9GrvgUFPjVZXDVCNRO-tGZliCo8ueydTIDpKM6pQ!publisher=Xinhuanet.com|access-date=2020-10-10|website=xinhuanet.com}}</ref> The spacecraft has begun to conduct scientific operations with the Mars Energetic Particle Analyzer, mounted on the orbiter, which has already transmitted data back to ground control.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mars probe begins science operations|url=https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202007/29/WS5f20dc19a31083481725cc8a.html|newspaper=China Daily}}</ref> Its objectives are to search for evidence of both current and past life, and to assess the planet's environment. The mission will attempt to land its rover on Mars in May 2021, and if successful China will be the third country to achieve a [[Soft landing (aeronautics)|soft landing]] on Mars after the [[Soviet Union]] and the [[United States]], and the second to deploy a rover.<ref name="Xinhua 03212016"/><ref name='Radar 2016'/> |
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The name "Tianwen" means "quest for heavenly truth". It comes from the [[Heavenly Questions|long poem of the same name]] written by [[Qu Yuan]] (about 340–278 BC), a poet of [[Ancient China]].<ref name="04242020Xinhua">{{cite news|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-04/24/c_139004153.htm|title=China's First Mars Exploration Mission Named Tianwen-1| |
The name "Tianwen" means "quest for heavenly truth". It comes from the [[Heavenly Questions|long poem of the same name]] written by [[Qu Yuan]] (about 340–278 BC), a poet of [[Ancient China]].<ref name="04242020Xinhua">{{cite news|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-04/24/c_139004153.htm|title=China's First Mars Exploration Mission Named Tianwen-1|agency=Xinhuabet|date=24 April 2020|access-date=24 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="orbit">{{cite news|title=Tianwen-1, China's mission to Mars, has entered orbit|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/10/asia/china-tianwen-1-mars-orbit-hnk-scli-scn/index.html |issue=10 February 2021|publisher=CNN}}</ref> |
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== Overview == |
== Overview == |
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[[File:Tianwen-1 launch 04 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|''Tianwen-1'' launching on 23 July 2020]] |
[[File:Tianwen-1 launch 04 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|''Tianwen-1'' launching on 23 July 2020]] |
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China's Mars program started in partnership with [[Russia]]. In November 2011, the Russian spacecraft [[Fobos-Grunt]], destined for Mars and [[Phobos (moon)|Phobos]], was launched from [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]]. The Russian spacecraft carried with it an attached secondary spacecraft, the [[Yinghuo-1]], which was intended to become China's first Mars orbiter ([[Fobos-Grunt]] also carried experiments from [[The Planetary Society]] and [[Bulgaria]]). However, [[Fobos-Grunt]]'s main propulsion unit failed to boost the Mars-bound stack from its initial Earth parking orbit and the combined multinational spacecraft and experiments eventually reentered |
China's Mars program started in partnership with [[Russia]]. In November 2011, the Russian spacecraft [[Fobos-Grunt]], destined for Mars and [[Phobos (moon)|Phobos]], was launched from [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]]. The Russian spacecraft carried with it an attached secondary spacecraft, the [[Yinghuo-1]], which was intended to become China's first Mars orbiter ([[Fobos-Grunt]] also carried experiments from [[The Planetary Society]] and [[Bulgaria]]). However, [[Fobos-Grunt]]'s main propulsion unit failed to boost the Mars-bound stack from its initial [[Earth]] parking orbit and the combined multinational spacecraft and experiments eventually reentered in [[atmosphere of Earth]] in January 2012.<ref name=RIANovostifalls>{{cite news|last=Zolotukhin|first=Alexei|title=Russian Phobos-Grunt Mars probe falls in Pacific Ocean |url=http://en.rian.ru/world/20120115/170769403.html|access-date=16 January 2012|agency=RIA Novosti|date=15 January 2012|quote=Phobos-Grunt fragments have crashed down in the Pacific Ocean}}</ref> China subsequently began an independent Mars project,<ref>{{cite news|last=Nan|first=Wu|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1539568/next-stop-mars-china-aims-send-rover-red-planet-within-six-years|title=Next stop – Mars: China aims to send rover to Red Planet within six years|newspaper=South China Morning Post|date=24 June 2014|access-date=2016-02-23}}</ref> and the current mission which was formally approved by Chinese authorities in 2016, became a reality 5 years later.<ref name="IEEE2019article">{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Andrew|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/robotic-exploration/china-says-its-mars-landing-technology-is-ready-for-2020|title=China Says Its Mars Landing Technology Is Ready For 2020|publisher=IEEE Spectrum|date=8 November 2019|access-date=30 December 2019}}</ref> |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | The new Chinese Mars spacecraft, consisting of an orbiter and a lander with an attached rover, is developed by the [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]] (CASC) and managed by the National Space Science Centre (NSSC) in [[Beijing]].<ref>{{cite web |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | The TW-1 Deployable Camera ( |
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⚫ | The new Chinese Mars spacecraft, consisting of an orbiter and a lander with an attached rover, is developed by the [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation]] (CASC) and managed by the National Space Science Centre (NSSC) in [[Beijing]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Tianwen-1 (China's first Mars Exploration Mission)|url=https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/t/tianwen-1|website=eoPortal Directory}}</ref> If the landing is successful, the lander would then release a rover. This rover will be powered by [[Solar panels on spacecraft|solar panels]] and is expected to probe the Martian surface with radar and to perform chemical analyses on the [[Martian soil|soil]]; it would also look for [[biomolecule]]s and [[biosignature]]s.<ref name="Xinhua 03212016"/> |
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⚫ | The TW-1 Deployable Camera (TDC) deployed from the orbiter in September 2020 while en route to Mars. Its mission was to photograph the ''Tianwen-1'' orbiter and the lander's heat shield. Two wide-angle lenses on the deployable camera were programmed to one image a second. The images were transmitted back to Tianwen via a wireless radio link, then downlinked back to teams in China.<ref name=":0"/> |
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== Mission objectives == |
== Mission objectives == |
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The aims of the mission may include searching for evidence of current and past life, producing surface maps, characterizing soil composition and water ice distribution, and examining the [[Atmosphere of Mars|Martian atmosphere]], and in particular its ionosphere.<ref>{{ |
The aims of the mission may include searching for evidence of current and past life, producing surface maps, characterizing soil composition and water ice distribution, and examining the [[Atmosphere of Mars |Martian atmosphere]], and in particular its ionosphere.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=The subsurface penetrating radar on the rover of China's Mars 2020 mission|last=Zhou|title=2016 16th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)|pages=1–4|display-authors=etal|date=13–16 June 2016|doi=10.1109/ICGPR.2016.7572700|isbn=978-1-5090-5181-6|s2cid=306903}}</ref> Simulated landings have been performed as part of mission preparations by the Beijing Institute of Space Mechanics and Electricity.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201912/03/WS5de5b0fca310cf3e3557b7b5.html|title=Country making strides toward Mars mission|agency=China Daily}}</ref> |
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The mission would also serve as a [[technology demonstration]] that will be needed for an anticipated Chinese [[Mars sample-return mission]] proposed for the 2030s.<ref>{{cite web |
The mission would also serve as a [[technology demonstration]] that will be needed for an anticipated Chinese [[Mars sample-return mission]] proposed for the 2030s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mars mission would put China among space leaders|url=https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/06/mars-mission-would-put-china-among-space-leaders|magazine=ScienceMag}}</ref> There was also a plan that involved using the current mission to cache rock and soil samples for retrieval by the later sample-return mission.<ref>[https://www.inquisitr.com/5253291/china-mars-probe-2020/ China Plans To Land A Rover On Mars In 2020], Alexandra Lozovschi, ''Inquisitr'', 17 January 2019</ref> |
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The overall mission objectives are: searching for evidence of current or past life, producing Martian surface maps, characterising Martian soil composition and water ice distribution, and examination of the Martian atmosphere.<ref name="NASA">{{cite web |
The overall mission objectives are: searching for evidence of current or past life, producing Martian surface maps, characterising Martian soil composition and water ice distribution, and examination of the Martian atmosphere.<ref name="NASA">{{cite web|title=China, with Tianwen-1, begins tenure at Mars with successful orbital arrival|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/02/china-ready-to-begin-mars-tenure-with-tianwen-1-orbit-insertion/|publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com|access-date=10 February 2021}}</ref> |
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== Mission planning == |
== Mission planning == |
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[[File:Tianwen-1_transfer_orbit_and_TCM.png|thumb|left|''Tianwen-1'' transfer orbit and trajectory correction maneuvers (TCM)]] |
[[File:Tianwen-1_transfer_orbit_and_TCM.png|thumb|upright=1.2|left|''Tianwen-1'' transfer orbit and trajectory correction maneuvers (TCM)]] |
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[[File:Orbital trajectory of Tianwen-1 around Mars.png|thumb|left|Planned orbital trajectory at Mars]] |
[[File:Orbital trajectory of Tianwen-1 around Mars.png|thumb|upright=1.2|left|Planned orbital trajectory at Mars]] |
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[[File:Mars map with landing site Tianwen-1.png|thumb|right|Map of Mars with the two possible landing areas of ''Tianwen-1'', and the locations of previous Mars landings]] |
[[File:Mars map with landing site Tianwen-1.png|thumb|upright=1.3|right|Map of Mars with the two possible landing areas of ''Tianwen-1'', and the locations of previous Mars landings]] |
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In late 2019, the Xi'an Aerospace Propulsion Institute, a subsidiary of [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation|CASC]], stated that the performance and control of the future spacecraft's propulsion system has been verified and had passed all requisite pre-flight tests, including tests for hovering, hazard avoidance, deceleration and landing. The main component of the lander's propulsion system consists of a single engine that provides 7500 newtons of thrust. The spacecraft's supersonic parachute system had also been successfully tested.<ref name="IEEE2019article"/> |
In late 2019, the Xi'an Aerospace Propulsion Institute, a subsidiary of [[China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation|CASC]], stated that the performance and control of the future spacecraft's propulsion system has been verified and had passed all requisite pre-flight tests, including tests for hovering, hazard avoidance, deceleration and landing. The main component of the lander's propulsion system consists of a single engine that provides 7500 newtons of thrust. The spacecraft's supersonic parachute system had also been successfully tested.<ref name="IEEE2019article"/> |
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By 23 January 2020 the Long March 5 Y4 rocket's hydrogen-oxygen engine had completed a 100-seconds test, which was the last engine test prior to the final assembly of the carrier rocket. It successfully launched on 23 July 2020.<ref name="AJ23July2020" /> |
By 23 January 2020 the Long March 5 Y4 rocket's hydrogen-oxygen engine had completed a 100-seconds test, which was the last engine test prior to the final assembly of the carrier rocket. It successfully launched on 23 July 2020.<ref name="AJ23July2020" /> |
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==Entering orbit of Mars== |
== Entering orbit of Mars == |
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The spacecraft entered Mars orbit on 10 February 2021 by performing a burn of its engines to slow it down enough to be captured by Mars' gravitational pull. The orbiter will spend the next few months scanning the surface to refine the target landing zone for the rover, which is planned to occur in May or June 2021.<ref>https://www.space.com/china-tianwen-1-mars-orbit-insertion-february-2021</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56013041 | title = China Mars mission: Tianwen-1 spacecraft enters into orbit | first = Jonathan | last = Amos | date = 10 February 2021 | access-date = 10 February 2021 | publisher = [[BBC]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/10/asia/china-tianwen-1-mars-orbit-hnk-scli-scn/index.html | title = Tianwen-1, China's mission to Mars, has entered orbit | first = Jessie | last = Yeung | date = 10 February 2021 | access-date = 10 February 2021 | work = [[CNN]] }}</ref> It will approach at about 265 kilometres to the Mars' surface, allowing a high-resolution camera to return images to the earth and to map the landing site in [[Utopia Planitia]].<ref name="SN">{{cite web |title=China’s Tianwen-1 enters orbit around Mars |url=https://spacenews.com/chinas-tianwen-1-enters-orbit-around-mars/ |publisher=Space News}}</ref> |
The spacecraft entered Mars orbit on 10 February 2021 by performing a burn of its engines to slow it down enough to be captured by Mars' gravitational pull. The orbiter will spend the next few months scanning the surface to refine the target landing zone for the rover, which is planned to occur in May or June 2021.<ref>https://www.space.com/china-tianwen-1-mars-orbit-insertion-february-2021</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56013041 | title = China Mars mission: Tianwen-1 spacecraft enters into orbit | first = Jonathan | last = Amos | date = 10 February 2021 | access-date = 10 February 2021 | publisher = [[BBC]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/10/asia/china-tianwen-1-mars-orbit-hnk-scli-scn/index.html | title = Tianwen-1, China's mission to Mars, has entered orbit | first = Jessie | last = Yeung | date = 10 February 2021 | access-date = 10 February 2021 | work = [[CNN]] }}</ref> It will approach at about 265 kilometres to the Mars' surface, allowing a high-resolution camera to return images to the earth and to map the landing site in [[Utopia Planitia]].<ref name="SN">{{cite web |title=China’s Tianwen-1 enters orbit around Mars |url=https://spacenews.com/chinas-tianwen-1-enters-orbit-around-mars/ |publisher=Space News}}</ref> |
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{{clear left}} |
{{clear left}} |
Revision as of 23:15, 10 February 2021
![]() Tianwen-1 undergoing tests in 2019. The silver capsule on top houses the lander and rover, and the gold bottom half with the rocket engine is the orbiter. | |
Names | Huoxing-1 (火星-1) (2018–2020) [1][2][3] |
---|---|
Mission type | Planetary science with an orbiter, lander and rover |
Operator | China National Space Administration (CNSA) |
COSPAR ID | 2020-049A |
SATCAT no. | 45935 |
Mission duration | 1427 days, 28 minutes (since launch) Orbiter: 2 Earth years (planned) Rover: 90 sols (planned)[4] |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Orbiter, lander, rover, TW-1 Deployable Camera (TDC) |
Manufacturer | China National Space Administration |
Launch mass | Total: 5,000 kg (11,000 lb) Orbiter: 3,175 kg (7,000 lb) Rover:240 kg (530 lb) |
Dimensions | Rover: 2.6 × 3 × 1.85 metres |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 23 July 2020, 04:41:15 UTC [5] |
Rocket | Long March 5 |
Launch site | Wenchang, LC-101 |
Contractor | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) |
Mars orbiter | |
Spacecraft component | Orbiter |
Orbital insertion | 10 February 2021 [6][7] |
Mars lander | |
Spacecraft component | Lander |
Landing date | May 2021 (planned) [6] |
Landing site | Utopia Planitia [8] |
Mars rover | |
Spacecraft component | Rover |
Landing date | May 2021 (planned) [6] |
Landing site | Utopia Planitia [8] |
![]() China Mars Exploration mission logo (Chinese: 中国行星探测) Mars logo |
Tianwen-1 (TW-1) (simplified Chinese: 天问; traditional Chinese: 天問; lit. 'heavenly questions') is an interplanetary mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) to send a robotic spacecraft to Mars, consisting of an orbiter, deployable camera, lander and rover. The mission was successfully launched from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on 23 July 2020 [9] on a Long March 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle and is currently in orbit around Mars, having reached planetary orbit on 10 February 2021.[10][7]
In September 2020 Tianwen-1 deployed the TW-1 Deployable Camera (TDC), a small satellite with two cameras that took photos of and tested a Wi-Fi connection with Tianwen-1.[11] Tianwen-1 also completed two mid-course orbital corrections and performed self diagnostics on multiple payloads.[12] The spacecraft has begun to conduct scientific operations with the Mars Energetic Particle Analyzer, mounted on the orbiter, which has already transmitted data back to ground control.[13] Its objectives are to search for evidence of both current and past life, and to assess the planet's environment. The mission will attempt to land its rover on Mars in May 2021, and if successful China will be the third country to achieve a soft landing on Mars after the Soviet Union and the United States, and the second to deploy a rover.[4][14]
The name "Tianwen" means "quest for heavenly truth". It comes from the long poem of the same name written by Qu Yuan (about 340–278 BC), a poet of Ancient China.[15][16]
Overview
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/Tianwen-1_launch_04_%28cropped%29.jpg/260px-Tianwen-1_launch_04_%28cropped%29.jpg)
China's Mars program started in partnership with Russia. In November 2011, the Russian spacecraft Fobos-Grunt, destined for Mars and Phobos, was launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Russian spacecraft carried with it an attached secondary spacecraft, the Yinghuo-1, which was intended to become China's first Mars orbiter (Fobos-Grunt also carried experiments from The Planetary Society and Bulgaria). However, Fobos-Grunt's main propulsion unit failed to boost the Mars-bound stack from its initial Earth parking orbit and the combined multinational spacecraft and experiments eventually reentered in atmosphere of Earth in January 2012.[17] China subsequently began an independent Mars project,[18] and the current mission which was formally approved by Chinese authorities in 2016, became a reality 5 years later.[19]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Tianwen-1_schematic.png/260px-Tianwen-1_schematic.png)
The new Chinese Mars spacecraft, consisting of an orbiter and a lander with an attached rover, is developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and managed by the National Space Science Centre (NSSC) in Beijing.[20] If the landing is successful, the lander would then release a rover. This rover will be powered by solar panels and is expected to probe the Martian surface with radar and to perform chemical analyses on the soil; it would also look for biomolecules and biosignatures.[4]
The TW-1 Deployable Camera (TDC) deployed from the orbiter in September 2020 while en route to Mars. Its mission was to photograph the Tianwen-1 orbiter and the lander's heat shield. Two wide-angle lenses on the deployable camera were programmed to one image a second. The images were transmitted back to Tianwen via a wireless radio link, then downlinked back to teams in China.[11]
Mission objectives
The aims of the mission may include searching for evidence of current and past life, producing surface maps, characterizing soil composition and water ice distribution, and examining the Martian atmosphere, and in particular its ionosphere.[21] Simulated landings have been performed as part of mission preparations by the Beijing Institute of Space Mechanics and Electricity.[22]
The mission would also serve as a technology demonstration that will be needed for an anticipated Chinese Mars sample-return mission proposed for the 2030s.[23] There was also a plan that involved using the current mission to cache rock and soil samples for retrieval by the later sample-return mission.[24]
The overall mission objectives are: searching for evidence of current or past life, producing Martian surface maps, characterising Martian soil composition and water ice distribution, and examination of the Martian atmosphere.[25]
Mission planning
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/46/Tianwen-1_transfer_orbit_and_TCM.png/260px-Tianwen-1_transfer_orbit_and_TCM.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Orbital_trajectory_of_Tianwen-1_around_Mars.png/260px-Orbital_trajectory_of_Tianwen-1_around_Mars.png)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Mars_map_with_landing_site_Tianwen-1.png/290px-Mars_map_with_landing_site_Tianwen-1.png)
In late 2019, the Xi'an Aerospace Propulsion Institute, a subsidiary of CASC, stated that the performance and control of the future spacecraft's propulsion system has been verified and had passed all requisite pre-flight tests, including tests for hovering, hazard avoidance, deceleration and landing. The main component of the lander's propulsion system consists of a single engine that provides 7500 newtons of thrust. The spacecraft's supersonic parachute system had also been successfully tested.[19]
CNSA initially focused on the Chryse Planitia and Elysium Mons regions of Mars in its search for possible landing sites. However, in September 2019 during a joint meeting in Geneva of the European Planetary Science Congress-Division for Planetary Sciences, Chinese presenters announced that two preliminary sites in the Utopia Planitia region of Mars have instead been chosen for the anticipated landing attempt, with each site having a landing ellipse of approximately 100 by 40 kilometres.[19]
In July 2020, CNSA provided landing coordinates of 110.318 degrees east longitude and 24.748 degrees north latitude, within the southern portion of Utopia Planitia, as the specific primary landing site. The area appears to provide a relatively safe place for a landing attempt but is also of great scientific interest, according to Alfred McEwen, director of the Planetary Image Research Laboratory at the University of Arizona.[8]
By 23 January 2020 the Long March 5 Y4 rocket's hydrogen-oxygen engine had completed a 100-seconds test, which was the last engine test prior to the final assembly of the carrier rocket. It successfully launched on 23 July 2020.[9]
Entering orbit of Mars
The spacecraft entered Mars orbit on 10 February 2021 by performing a burn of its engines to slow it down enough to be captured by Mars' gravitational pull. The orbiter will spend the next few months scanning the surface to refine the target landing zone for the rover, which is planned to occur in May or June 2021.[26][27][28] It will approach at about 265 kilometres to the Mars' surface, allowing a high-resolution camera to return images to the earth and to map the landing site in Utopia Planitia.[29]
Scientific instruments
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Mars_Global_Remote_Sensing_Orbiter_and_Small_Rover_at_IAC_Bremen_2018_02.jpg/220px-Mars_Global_Remote_Sensing_Orbiter_and_Small_Rover_at_IAC_Bremen_2018_02.jpg)
To achieve the scientific objectives of the mission, the Tianwen-1 orbiter and rover are equipped with 13 instruments.[30]
Orbiter
- Medium Resolution Camera (MRC) with a resolution of 100 m from a 400 km orbit
- High Resolution Camera (HRC) with a resolution of 2 m from a 400 km orbit
- Mars Magnetometer (MM)
- Mars Mineralogy Spectrometer (MMS), to determine elementary composition
- Orbiter Subsurface Radar (OSR)
- Mars Ion and Neutral Particle Analyzer (MINPA)
- Mars Energetic Particle Analyzer[30]
Rover
- Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), to image about 100 metres (330 ft) below the Martian surface[14]
- Mars Surface Magnetic Field Detector (MSMFD)
- Mars Meteorological Measurement Instrument (MMMI)
- Mars Surface Compound Detector (MSCD)
- Multi-Spectrum Camera (MSC)
- Navigation and Topography Camera (NTC)
International collaborations
Argentina's CONAE is collaborating on Tianwen-1 by way of a Chinese-run tracking station installed in Las Lajas, Neuquén. The facility played a previous role in China's landing of the Chang'e-4 spacecraft on the far side of the Moon in January 2019.[31]
France's Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetology (IRAP) in Toulouse is collaborating on the Tianwen-1 rover. Sylvestre Maurice of IRAP said, "For their Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument, we have delivered a calibration target that is a French duplicate of a target which is on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. The idea is to see how the two datasets compare."[31]
Austria's Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) aided in the development of a magnetometer installed on the Chinese Mars orbiter. The Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Graz has confirmed the group's contribution to the Tianwen-1 magnetometer and helped with the calibration of the flight instrument.[31]
See also
- Astrobiology – Science concerned with life in the universe
- Climate of Mars – Climate patterns of the planet Mars
- Chinese Deep Space Network
- European Space Agency
- ESTRACK
- Mars Express orbiter
- ExoMars rover – Astrobiology programme
- Exploration of Mars – Overview of the exploration of Mars
- Life on Mars – Scientific assessments on the microbial habitability of Mars
- List of missions to Mars
- Emirates Mars Mission, 2020 Mars mission with its Hope orbiter
- Mars 2020, U.S. mission to Mars
- Perseverance rover (Mars 2020 rover component)
- Mars sample return mission – Mars mission to collect rock and dust samples
References
- ^ "中国火星探测器露真容 明年发射". 12 October 2019.
- ^ The Global Exploration Roadmap NASA International Space Exploration Coordination Group, January 2018
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ China's Deep Space Exploration Roadmap 2018
- ^ a b c "China Exclusive: China's aim to explore Mars". Xinhua News. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ Wall, Mike. "China launches ambitious Tianwen-1 Mars rover mission". Space.com.
- ^ a b c "Tiān wèn yī hào tàncè qì fēixíng lǐchéng túpò 3 yì qiān mǐ" [Tianwen-1 Has Flown More Than 300 Million Kilometers] (in Chinese). 17 November 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ a b Gebhardt, Chris (10 February 2021). "China, with Tianwen-1, begins tenure at Mars with successful orbital arrival". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ a b c Andrew Jones 28 October 2020. "China chooses landing site for its Tianwen-1 Mars rover". Space.com. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Jones, Andrew (23 July 2020). "Tianwen-1 launches for Mars, marking dawn of Chinese interplanetary exploration". SpaceNews. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
- ^ Roulette, Joey (5 February 2021). "Three countries are due to reach Mars in the next two weeks". The Verge. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
- ^ a b Clark, Stephen. "China's Mars-bound probe returns self-portrait from deep space". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ "China's Mars probe completes deep-space maneuver". xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ "Mars probe begins science operations". China Daily.
- ^ a b The subsurface penetrating radar on the rover of China's Mars 2020 mission. B. Zhou, S. X. Shen, Y. C. Ji, etal. 2016 16th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). 13–16 June 2016.
- ^ "China's First Mars Exploration Mission Named Tianwen-1". Xinhuabet. 24 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ "Tianwen-1, China's mission to Mars, has entered orbit". No. 10 February 2021. CNN.
- ^ Zolotukhin, Alexei (15 January 2012). "Russian Phobos-Grunt Mars probe falls in Pacific Ocean". RIA Novosti. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
Phobos-Grunt fragments have crashed down in the Pacific Ocean
- ^ Nan, Wu (24 June 2014). "Next stop – Mars: China aims to send rover to Red Planet within six years". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
- ^ a b c Jones, Andrew (8 November 2019). "China Says Its Mars Landing Technology Is Ready For 2020". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- ^ "Tianwen-1 (China's first Mars Exploration Mission)". eoPortal Directory.
- ^ Zhou; et al. (13–16 June 2016). "The subsurface penetrating radar on the rover of China's Mars 2020 mission". 2016 16th International Conference on Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR). pp. 1–4. doi:10.1109/ICGPR.2016.7572700. ISBN 978-1-5090-5181-6. S2CID 306903.
- ^ "Country making strides toward Mars mission". China Daily.
- ^ "Mars mission would put China among space leaders". ScienceMag.
- ^ China Plans To Land A Rover On Mars In 2020, Alexandra Lozovschi, Inquisitr, 17 January 2019
- ^ "China, with Tianwen-1, begins tenure at Mars with successful orbital arrival". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ https://www.space.com/china-tianwen-1-mars-orbit-insertion-february-2021
- ^ Amos, Jonathan (10 February 2021). "China Mars mission: Tianwen-1 spacecraft enters into orbit". BBC. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ Yeung, Jessie (10 February 2021). "Tianwen-1, China's mission to Mars, has entered orbit". CNN. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "China's Tianwen-1 enters orbit around Mars". Space News.
- ^ a b "China launches robotic mission to orbit, land, and drive on Mars". Spaceflight Now. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ a b c David, Leonard (22 July 2020). "China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover mission gets a boost from international partners". Space.com. Retrieved 10 September 2020.