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FILE PHOTO: A lander for the Mars mission in China is seen before an obstacle avoidance test at a test facility in Huailai, Hebei Province, China, November 14, 2019. REUTERS / Jason Lee
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s space agency revealed the name of its first Mars exploration mission on Friday, coinciding with China’s annual Space Day and the 50th anniversary of the launch of its first satellite.
The Mars mission has been named Tianwen-1, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
The unmanned exploration mission to Mars is expected to launch this year.
The name comes from “Tianwen,” or “Questions to Heaven,” a poem written by Qu Yuan who lived more than two millennia ago.
In the poem, questions were raised about the stars and other celestial bodies.
The CNSA said that all future Chinese planetary exploration missions would be called “Tianwen” to indicate the country’s scientific activities in space.
China successfully launched its first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, in 1970.
In 2003, it became the third country to put a man into space with its own rocket after the former Soviet Union and the United States.
Since then, China has been competing to catch up with Russia and the United States and become a major space power by 2030.
Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Robert Birsel
