Interestingly, the United States and China launched separate rover missions to Mars in July. This is also causing some rivalry between the two strongest economic nations. NASA’s Perseverance rover launched on July 30, while China’s Tianwen-1 rover launched on July 23. Both probes should reach Mars by February 2021.
Bob Larson
Perseverance’s goal is to research potential life on Mars and looking for any past evidence of microbial life. The rover has many scientific instruments including a unique drill to collect core samples from rocks and examined by a later mission. Perseverance will be the seventh probe NASA has landed on Mars, and the fourth rover to research Mars.
Tianwen-1, aka “Quest for Heavenly Truth,” is China’s first mission to Mars. The probe will collect important information about the Martian soil, geological structure, environment, atmosphere, and search for signs of water. However, China is still behind the U.S. in gathering data on Mars.
Scientists working for NASA and China’s space agency have enjoyed a collegiate relationship in the past. Both nations have collaborated on the International Space Station, and launched past successful missions to the moon.
China wants to be the space leader in space. China has invested billions of dollars in their space program. If their rover is successful, China has plans to eventually send a manned mission to Mars, launch a permanent space station by 2022, and is considering a manned probe to the Moon sometime in the 2030s. Of course, the U.S. has similar plans too.
President Trump authorized NASA to “lead an innovative space exploration program to send American astronauts back to the moon, and eventually Mars.” Trump also created the Space Force and indicated, “space is going to be the future. Both in terms of defense and offense and so many other things.”
~ Bob Larson is a technologist and Marketing Director for 50 Plus!