China announces target launch date for its Tianwen-1 Mars rover
The new colonial movement: According to a new report out of Singapore, China has set July 20-25 as the launch window for its Mars orbiter/lander/rover mission, dubbed Tianwen-1.
Should they meet this date, it means they will launch before Perseverance, arriving at Mars about the same time, in February 2021. And like Perseverance, this launch window closes this summer, and if they can’t meet it they will have to wait two years.
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The new colonial movement: According to a new report out of Singapore, China has set July 20-25 as the launch window for its Mars orbiter/lander/rover mission, dubbed Tianwen-1.
Should they meet this date, it means they will launch before Perseverance, arriving at Mars about the same time, in February 2021. And like Perseverance, this launch window closes this summer, and if they can’t meet it they will have to wait two years.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
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Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
A late post, but I was finally able to see this probe and it is the spitting image of MER-A and MER-B. Better known as Spirit and Opportunity.
Jay: Do you have a link to these pictures?
If they are as you say, that would provide strong evidence that the Chinese made good use of the hacking they did at JPL over several years.
Bob,
Here is some links to some rover pictures: https://www.periodicodaily.com/tianwen-1-la-cina-si-prepara-ad-approdare-su-marte/ Sorry it is in Portuguese, the pics are there.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Mars_Global_Remote_Sensing_Orbiter_and_Small_Rover_at_IAC_Bremen_2018_02.jpg
Lander tests: https://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/china-names-its-first-mars-mission-tianwen1-1587720978-1
They are using retro rockets and an airbag for landing. It looks like a copy to me.
Jay: It bears a strong resemblance, but there are differences. My guess is they stole JPL’s info, but this was insufficient to make an exact copy. And they also probably decided they didn’t want to make an exact copy because it would reveal the theft. They have probably added some refinements based on their experience with Yutu-2, as well as changes based on their own needs.
Bob,
True, it is not a “spitting image” of Spirit and Opportunity, but as soon as I saw it that was the first thought in my mind. I will call it a “knockoff” of the design.