China’s Tianwen-1 probe enters Mars orbit after seven-month voyage

China’s Tianwen-1 probe enters Mars orbit after seven-month voyage

All three Mars missions launched last July to take advantage of the planet's close alignment with Earth that occurs only every two years.

The Chinese mission is its most ambitious yet. If all goes as planned, the rover would separate from the spacecraft in a few months and attempt to touch down. If all goes as planned, China would become only the second nation to do so successfully.

Tianwen, the title of an ancient poem, means "Quest for Heavenly Truth."

Landing a spacecraft on Martian soil is notoriously difficult, and China's attempt will involve a parachute, back-firing rockets and airbags. Its proposed landing site is inside the massive, rock-strewn, Utopia Planitia, where the US Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976.

The solar-powered rover, about the size of a golf cart, is expected to operate for about three months, and the orbiter for two years.

A US rover called Perseverance is aiming for a Feb. 18 touchdown on Mars to also search for signs of ancient microscopic life and to collect rocks for return to Earth in the next decade.

The UAE's orbiter called Amal, Arabic for Hope, began circling the red planet on Tuesday to gather detailed data on Mars' atmosphere.

Six others were already operating around Mars: three US, two European