There is a rover inside the spacecraft, which is expected to land on the surface of the neighboring planet in a few months
China’s Tianwen-1 spacecraft has entered Mars orbit as part of an expedition that is expected to land the rover on the surface of the Red Planet and search for signs of ancient life.
The Chinese space agency said the five-ton orbiter, with the rover inside, launched its engines to reduce speed and be captured by Mars’ gravity.
“The orbit was successful, resulting in our country’s first artificial Mars satellite,” the agency announced.
If all goes according to plan, in a few months the rover will separate from the spacecraft and land on the planet’s surface. In this case, China will become the second country to make such an expedition.
The golf-car-sized rover will collect data on underground water and look for evidence that microorganisms may once have existed on the planet.
