China’s Mars probe, “Tianwen-1,” has been navigating in deep space since it was launched on July 21. It will arrive at the red planet on Feb 10, China National Space Administration has said, reports Andrew Jones. But its (still un-named) lander/rover will not immediately be deployed to the surface, but could spend three months in orbit.
Unlike landing on the Moon, Mars is a dynamic planet, with seasons, weather, and dust storms. The orbiter will take images of the primary landing site, getting the rover ready to land. China is doing what no other country has attempted: on its very first mission to Mars, it is sending an orbiter plus a lander/rover while other countries sent just orbiters on their first missions.
