China's Mars rover, Tianwen-1, will likely attempt to land at a site in northeastern Mars, according to a new paper published just days ahead of the mission's launch. The paper was written by team members of China's Tianwen-1 Mars mission, which aims to send an orbiter and a rover to the Red Planet.
The study reveals new details about Tianwen-1, outlining its intended landing area, science goals and the names of instruments aboard the spacecraft. It also stresses the historic nature of the mission: Not only is Tianwen-1 China's first fully homegrown Mars mission, it's also the first to carry both an orbiter and a rover.
Tianwen-1 means "questions to heaven" and was taken from the title of a poem by Qu Yuan (340 — 278 BC). The spacecraft will reach Mars in February 2021, at the same time as NASA's Perseverance rover and the United Arab Emirates' Hope orbiter launched on Sunday (July 19). However, China's rover will remain attached to the orbiter for two to three months before attempting its landing, according to the paper.
The chosen landing area is Utopia Planitia, a huge basin formed by a large impact far back in Mars' history that was also the region where NASA's Viking 2 lander touched down in 1976. China had isolated a part of the vast plain as a landing area, which means there will be more time and atmosphere for the entry spacecraft to slow down and safely land on the surface. The latitude is also suitable for receiving enough sunlight to power the 240 kilograms rover. The relatively smooth surface will also be helpful for roving. The mission also benefits from the engineering heritage of China's Chang'e lunar exploration program, the paper noted.
The Tianwen-1 orbiter will operate in a polar orbit in order to map Mars. The rover will also investigate the surface soil characteristics and water-ice distribution with its own Subsurface Exploration Radar. It will also analyze surface material composition and characteristics of the Martian climate and environment on the surface.
