China successfully launches first Mars mission – In Pictures

epa08561792 The rocket carrying China's Tianwen-1 Mars rover is seen after liftoff in Wenchang, Hainan province, China, 23 July 2020. The rover was lifted off by a Long March 5 rocket on Hainan Island and it is expected to reach Mars in February 2021. EPA-EFE/STR CHINA OUT / ALTERNATIVE CROP

China launched a Mars probe on Thursday, aiming to complete orbiting, landing and roving in one mission, and taking the first step in its planetary exploration of the solar system.

A Long March-5 rocket, China’s largest launch vehicle, carrying the spacecraft with a mass of about 5 tonnes, soared into the sky from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of southern China’s island province of Hainan at 12:41 p.m. (Beijing Time).

About 36 minutes later, the spacecraft, including an orbiter and a rover, was sent into the Earth-Mars transfer orbit, embarking on an almost seven-month journey to the red planet, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

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