China launches Tianwen-1 Mars rover mission

China has declared successful the launch of its first Mars rover called Tianwen-1, the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Thursday, citing the China National Space Administration.

China has declared successful the launch of its first Mars rover called Tianwen-1, the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Thursday, citing the China National Space Administration. The Long March 5 carrier rocket with the rover was launched at 12.41 p.m. local time (04:41 GMT) from the Wenchang Space Launch Center on the southern island province of Hainan.

"On July 23, the launch of the first Chinese Mars rover Tianwen-1 was implemented successfully," CCTV reported. After 2,167 seconds, the rocket successfully put the rover into the intended orbit, and it started "its trip to explore Mars."