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6 CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Friday, July 24, 2020 | 7 CHINA FACTS ABOUT MARS Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the Wenchang second-smallest planet in our solar system. HAINAN Lander Mars is one of the four terrestrial planets and is more like Earth than any other planet in the system. TIANWEN 1 The earliest record of the observation of Mars can be traced to ancient Egypt around 2000 BC. The red planet made its first appearances in China’s history around 1300 BC on oracle bone inscriptions. In CHINA’S MISSION TO MARS ancient China, it was named Yinghuo , derived from ancient astronomers’ observations that it moved － like a capricious flame in the night sky. The name Aims to fulfill three scientific objectives orbiting the red includes meanings of war and unrest. It is usually planet for comprehensive observation, landing on the Martian not difficult to see Mars with the naked eye as its Mars surface apparent magnitude is surpassed only by Venus, the surface and sending a rover to roam the landing site. It will compound detector to Earth’s moon and our sun. Mars appears red-orange study high-resolution when seen from Earth because its surface contains spectral signatures of conduct scientific investigations on Mars’ soil, geological lots of iron oxides. Here are some other basic facts surface substances structure, environment, atmosphere and water. about our planetary neighbor: Total surface area: LONG 144,798,500 sq km, about 28 percent of Earth’s MARCH 5 and nearly the same as Earth’s land area LONG JOURNEY Earth-Mars Position of Mars scientific instruments are Equatorial radius: With more than transfer when the carrier The 5-ton spacecraft trajectory is launched mounted on the 3,396 km, about half that of Earth 750 metric tons Length of a solar day on Mars: of propellants, will travel more than orbiter and each Long March 400 million km in the rover 24 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds 5 has a liftoff nearly seven months. High-resolution camera Ground-penetrating Length of a Martian year: 0 weight of 869 44 to take pictures of the radars to investigate 1.881 Earth years, or 687 days SUN tons. The rocket landing site and subsurface geological is the strongest high-value zones structures and most Position of technologically Mars when the rover arrives sophisticated in Position of Earth when the carrier China’s launch is launched vehicle family. Position of Navigation and topography Mars energetic particle Earth when the camera to provide navigation rover arrives analyzer to investigate Mars and positioning for rover and energetic particles in the Earth obtain high-resolution 3D spatial environment images of the landing site Closest distance to Earth: approximately 55.7 LANDING Mars ion and neutral particle and areas around it million km, 153 times farther than the closest analyzer to study the ions and PROCESS distance between Earth and its moon neutral particles of solar wind Cruise stage Medium-resolution camera and the Martian spatial Overall mass: separation Parachute to generate remote-sensing environment 6.4171×10²0 metric tons, about a 10th that of Earth descent images of Mars Heat shield Volume: 16.318×10¹0 cu km, about 15 percent of Earth separation DRIVING DISTANCES ON MARS Escape velocity from Mars: 5.03 km/s, compared with 11.2 km/s from Earth BACK SHELL 35.76 km Back shell Average surface pressure: Opportunity 2004-present 0.636 kilopascal, only 0.6 percent of Earth’s separation standard atmospheric pressure Touchdown and rover 7.7 km MARTIAN ROVER deployment Spirit 2004-2010 Planet’s structure: 0.7 km Liquid Iron- sulphur core LANDING PLATFORM Curiosity 2012-present Possible solid inner core 0.1 km Mantle HEAT SHIELD Sojourner 1997 Crust 0 10 20 30 40 50 Atmospheric composition: 95.1% carbon dioxide KEY MOMENTS IN EXPLORATION OF MARS 2.59% nitrogen (By launch date) 1.94% argon, October 1960 Mars 1960A (USSR) June 2003 Mars Express along with traces of ACTIVE MARS MISSIONS World's first attempt to reach Mars is (European Space Agency) oxygen and water thwarted by rocket failure. First planetary expedition attempted by (2001-2019) MISSIONS TO THE RED PLANET ESA sends an orbiter and a lander to Atmospheric density: 0.02 kg/cu m, about 1.6 November 1964 Mariner 4 (US) Mars. The orbiter remains operational 2019 9 percent of Earth’s First successful exploration of Mars takes after entering orbit in December 2003, 2018 10 close-up photos of its surface in July RO but lander fails to fully deploy after Average temperature: -63 C 2017 8 VER 1965 on a flyby mission, sending back touching down on the Martian surface L the first images of another planet from A because of mechanical problems. 2016 8 N D deep space. Surface gravity: 3.71 m/s squared, about 38 2015 7 ER August 2005 Mars Reconnaissance May 1971 Mariner 9 (US) percent of Earth’s 2014 7 O Orbiter (US) RB The first spacecraft to orbit another Tasked with surveying the geology and 2013 5 IT EARTH ER planet sends back more than 7,300 clear climate of Mars, it reaches planet in MARS 2012 5 photos of the Martian surface during 349 March 2006. It is the most advanced days of operation in orbit, beginning in 2011 4 F Mars orbiter so far and is still operational. L November 1971. YB 2010 5 Y November 2011 Fobos-Grunt (Russia) May 1971 Mars 2 (USSR) 2009 5 Mission designed to collect Martian Orbiter becomes first Soviet spacecraft 2008 6 samples and return them to Earth, but to accomplish its Mars exploration goals, fails soon after launch. Part of payload is 2007 5 sending back dozens of photos after a small Chinese orbiter. 2006 6 entering orbit in November 1971. Lander crashes during descent, becoming first November 2011 Curiosity (US) 2005 5 manmade object to hit surface of Mars. The most sophisticated, most expensive 2004 5 and biggest rover deployed to date makes May 1971 Mars 3 (USSR) 2003 3 a soft landing on Mars in August 2012. Lander becomes first manmade craft to 2002 2 soft-land on Mars in December 1971 but it November 2013 Mangalyaan (India) 3 meters 8 meters 2001 2 fails 110 seconds later. Loss of communi- Also known as the Mars Orbiter Mission, it cations means no one knows if small sees India become the fourth party to rover, the first of its kind, was deployed. reach Mars. India's first interplanetary Average orbital speed: 24 km/s, or 86,430 km/h mission, it enters orbit in September 2014 MARTIAN MOONS August 1975 Viking 1 (US) and is still operational. Lander becomes second spacecraft to Existence of water: 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 1971 2011 2011 2011 1975 1975 1975 1975 1973 1973 1973 1973 1992 1962 1962 1962 1969 1969 1969 1969 2013 2013 1988 1988 1998 1998 1996 1996 1996 1999 1996 2016 2016 2018 2018 1964 1964 2020 2020 1960 1960 2001 1964 1964 2005 2007 2003 2003 2003 2003 soft-land on Mars and the first to May 2018 InSight (US) Liquid water is believed to be successfully execute its tasks. It sets a Lander touches down on Mars in nonexistent on the Martian record for the longest Mars surface November 2018, becoming fifth India China China Japan surface due to its low Russia Russia mission – 2,307 Earth days, or nearly 6 successful US lander mission on Mars. Emirates atmospheric pressure, while years and 4 months – that stands for July 19, 2020 Emirates Mars Mission Soviet Union Soviet Soviet Union Soviet Soviet Union Soviet Union Soviet Union Soviet Soviet Union Soviet Union Soviet Soviet Union Soviet Soviet Union Soviet Union Soviet Soviet Union Soviet Union Soviet Soviet Union Soviet Union Soviet Soviet Union Soviet Soviet Union Soviet Union Soviet Union Soviet its two polar ice caps appear United States United United States United United States United States United United States United States United United States United States United United States United United States United United States United United States United States United States United States United States United United States United United States United United States United United States United States United United States United United States United United States United United States United nearly three decades. Nozomi, Nozomi, (United Arab Emirates) Mars 96, 96, Mars European Union European European Union European European Union European to be made largely of water. Yinghuo-1, Yinghuo-1, Phobos Deimos 1, Tianwen December 1996 Mars Pathfinder (US) The Arab world's first interplanetary Spirit, Spirit, Mars 1, 1, Mars Fobos-Grunt, Fobos-Grunt, Mars 2, 2, Mars Mars 4, 4, Mars Zond 2, 2, Zond Mars 7, 7, Mars Mars 5, 5, Mars Mars 6, 6, Mars United Arab Arab United mission launches the Hope orbiter atop a 1M No.1, 1M No.1, Lander releases Sojourner, a small, MarCO, MarCO, 1M No.2, 1M No.2, InSight, InSight, MAVEN, MAVEN, Mars has the highest mountain of any planet in the Phoenix, Phoenix, Phobos 1, 1, Phobos Phobos 2, 2, Phobos Curiosity, Curiosity, European Union/Russia European Mariner 7, Mariner 7, Mariner 3, Mariner 3, Japanese rocket. It is due to reach Mars in Mariner 9, Mariner 9, Mariner 6, Mariner 6, 2M No.521, Mariner 4, Mariner 4, Mariner 8, Two natural satellites Sojourner, wheeled robotic rover in July 1997 – the 2M No.522, 2M No.522, 2MV-3 No.1, No.1, 2MV-3 2MV-4 No.1, No.1, 2MV-4 － Beagle 2, 2, Beagle Kosmos 419, 419, Kosmos solar system Olympus Mons, or Mount Olympus Opportunity, Opportunity, Mars Orbiter Mission, Mission, Orbiter Mars Phobos (about 11 km in diameter) and 2 lander, Mars fist rover successfully deployed on February and study its atmosphere.
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