×

UPSC Courses

DNA banner

DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

GS-III :
  • 24 July, 2020

  • 5 Min Read

Tianwen-1 Mars mission

Tianwen-1 Mars mission

Context:

  • China launched the Tianwen-1 Mars rover mission.

About Tianwen-1:

  • It is China’s first fully home-grown Mars mission.
  • It was launched atop a Long March-5 carrier rocket.
  • It consists of an orbiter and a lander/rover duo, a combination of craft that had never before been launched together towards Mars.

News

  • It is especially striking given that it’s China’s first attempt at a full-on Mars mission.
  • China did launch a Mars orbiter called Yinghuo-1 in 2011, but the spacecraft accompanied Russia’s Phobos-Grunt mission. However, the launch failed, leaving the probes trapped in Earth's orbit.
  • Tianwen-1 is expected to arrive at the Red Planet in February 2021.
  • The lander/rover pair will touch down on the Martian surface two to three months later somewhere within Utopia Planitia.
  • Utopia Planitia is a large plain in Mars’ Northern Hemisphere.
  • NASA’s Viking 2 lander landed there in 1976.
  • The solar-powered rover will then spend about 90 Martian days (called sols, and slightly longer than Earth Days), studying its surroundings in detail.
  • The orbiter will eventually settle into a polar elliptical orbit.
  • The lander apparently will not do any substantive science work, serving as a delivery system for the rover.

Objectives of Tianwen-1:

  • To map the morphology and geological structure.
  • To investigate the surface soil characteristics and water-ice distribution.
  • To analyze the surface material composition.
  • To measure the ionosphere and the characteristics of the Martian climate and environment at the surface.
  • To perceive the physical fields (electromagnetic, gravitational) and internal structure of Mars.

Source: TH


Formation Day

On 1st November, eight Indian states—Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu—along with five Union Territories—Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Delhi, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry—celebrate their Formation Day. This date marks an important milestone in India

Turtle (Kachhua) Wildlife Sanctuary

The Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as the Kachhua Sanctuary, is located in the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh. It is recognised as India’s first freshwater turtle wildlife sanctuary, established to conserve endangered turtle species and support the ecological health of the Ganga River. Location and Extent The sanctuary co

Introduction of AI and Computational Thinking (CT) in

The Ministry of Education plans to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computational Thinking (CT) from Class 3 onwards in the 2026–27 academic year. This initiative is part of the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023 and aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The aim is to prepare student

Sal Tree

Scientists from the Environment Department of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) in Shimla have recently revealed that the Sal tree (Shorea robusta) is the most effective natural air purifier for combating rising pollution levels. Their findings highlight the tree’s superior capacity to trap dust, absorb gases, and cleanse the air compared

US Resumes Nuclear Weapon Testing

The President of the United States has ordered the resumption of nuclear weapon testing after a gap of 33 years, the last test being in 1992. This decision marks a significant shift in global nuclear policy and has far-reaching implications for geopolitics, the environment, and international security. Status of Global Nuclear Weapon Testing

DNA

03 Dec,2025

Toppers

Search By Date

Newsletter Subscription
SMS Alerts

Important Links

UPSC GS Mains Crash Course - RAW Prelims Answer Key 2024