China's Yinghuo-1 will go into orbit around Mars in 2010 after a 10-month, 236-million mile (380-million-km) journey beginning in October reports the BBC. It will function for an expected life of two years. The 253 lb. Yinghuo-1 will be launched by a Russian Zenit carrier rocket which will also carry the Russian-made Phobos-Grunt. Both probes will be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome space base in Kazakhstan. The Chinese Mars probe was sent to Moscow the past week to be readied.Yinghuo-1 will be China's first Mars probe and China's first project to explore another planet. The Chinese meaning of Yinghuo is "light from firefly." Yinghuo-1 will study environmental changes in the climate of Mars, including the disappearance of water from the planet. The Chinese have an ambitious space program as evidenced in this video.
"If Yinghuo-1 enters the preset orbit smoothly and works well, China will become the fourth country that has ever succeeded in launching a Mars probe, following the United States, Russia and Europe," Pang Zhihao, a researcher with the China Academy of Space Technology told a news outlet in China.
Meanwhile, China's second unmanned moon probe, Chang'e-2, is likely to be launched within a year, and a year ahead of schedule [video]. It will be China's second lunar orbiter, part of the second phase of the Lunar Probe Project. The probe will conduct research at a 100-kilometer-high moon orbit as a preparation for a soft landing by Chang'e-3.
Meanwhile, China's second unmanned moon probe, Chang'e-2, is likely to be launched within a year, and a year ahead of schedule [video]. It will be China's second lunar orbiter, part of the second phase of the Lunar Probe Project. The probe will conduct research at a 100-kilometer-high moon orbit as a preparation for a soft landing by Chang'e-3.
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