May 15, 2021
China’s 1st Mars rover ‘Zhurong’ lands on the Red Planet
Posted by Alberto Lao in category: space
China just successfully landed its first rover on Mars, becoming only the second nation to do so.
The Tianwen-1 mission, China’s first interplanetary endeavor, reached the surface of the Red Planet Friday (May 14) at approximately 7:11 p.m. EDT (2311 GMT), though Chinese space officials have not yet confirmed the exact time and location of touchdown. Tianwen-1 (which translates to “Heavenly Questions”) arrived in Mars’ orbit in February after launching to the Red Planet on a Long March 5 rocket in July 2020.