14 July 2020
China's mars probe Tianwen 1 arrived at port on Hainan Island. Tianwen 1 is set to be launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre atop a Long March 5 carrier rocket in the coming days. The spacecraft, developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, is now undergoing pre-launch preparations at the cosmodrome in the coastal city of Wenchang before lift-off for China's first independent Mars exploration. The space contractor said the probe consists of three parts - the orbiter, the lander and the rover - and they will separate in Mars' orbit. The orbiter will stay in orbit for scientific operations and signal relay while the lander-rover combination will make an autonomous descent and landing.
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