China plans to send the first automatic Mars probe in 2020, and in the next ten years, researchers are going to begin collecting samples on the planet's surface, reports China Daily, citing project leader Zhang Runqiao.
According to him, China plans to conduct an orbital and surface study of the Red Planet in a single flight.
They are going to kill "two birds with one stone" with the help of a device consisting of three modules: an orbital flying probe, a lander and a rover. The orbital module will collect data on the planet's atmosphere, study the electromagnetic field, and collect data on temperature and other indicators. The rover will take samples on the planet's surface and help test a number of prototypes of equipment that they plan to use in the future for further exploration of the planet.
Previously, research missions to Mars were equipped by specialists from the European Space Agency and NASA. ESA's idea was only partially realized, as the module intended for surface research crashed during landing. NASA managed to land its rovers on the surface - now they are engaged in research and regularly transmit new data to Earth.
Viacheslav Larionov