China Found Something We've NEVER Seen Before on Mars! Better than NASA & SpaceX

China Found Something We've NEVER Seen Before on Mars! Better than NASA & SpaceX
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#spacezone #spacex #starship
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China Found Something We've NEVER Seen Before on Mars! Better than NASA & SpaceX
There’s no denying it—Mars is the place to explore in our solar system right now. NASA is searching for signs of past or present life, SpaceX is dreaming about people actually living there, and China is clearly just as interested, sending its own rover to check things out.
So, what did they find?

This was actually China’s first attempt at landing a rover on Mars. Named Zhurong, it was part of the Tianwen-1 mission carried out by the China National Space Administration. For a first try, the mission wasn’t just successful—it went above and beyond expectations, both in terms of what it discovered and how well the rover performed on the Martian surface.
Tianwen-1, together with the Zhurong rover, lifted off on July 23, 2020, from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site aboard a Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket. After a 202-day cruise through interplanetary space, Tianwen-1 entered orbit around Mars on February 10, 2021, becoming China’s first successful Martian orbiter. From there, it carried out a series of orbital adjustments and began scouting potential landing sites for the upcoming touchdown attempt.
China Found Something We've NEVER Seen Before on Mars! Better than NASA & SpaceX
In the early hours of May 15, 2021, after three months of circling the Red Planet, the mission reached its most critical moment. At around 4 a.m., the lander separated from the orbiter and began its descent toward the Martian surface. Entry into the thin Martian atmosphere started at an altitude of about 125 kilometers. As the lander raced downward at roughly Mach 3, it adjusted its orientation and searched for the safest angle of approach—far too fast for a safe landing without additional steps.
A parachute soon deployed, slowing the lander to about Mach 2. The heat shield detached, and the lander unfolded its legs for the first time in nearly ten months. Ranging and velocity sensors activated, readying the craft for the final phase of descent.
China Found Something We've NEVER Seen Before on Mars! Better than NASA & SpaceX
At roughly 1.5 kilometers above the surface, the protective shell and parachute were released. The main engines ignited, steadily reducing speed as optical sensors began scanning the terrain below. When the lander reached 100 meters in altitude, it paused in mid-air, using laser 3D imaging to pinpoint the safest touchdown spot. Once selected, the lander eased downward under precise engine control.
A gentle plume of dust rose as the four landing legs settled firmly onto Utopia Planitia. With that moment, Mars welcomed its first visitor from China.