China launches powerful rocket in boost for 2020 Mars mission

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Yahoo-AFP

Jing Xuan TENG,

China Friday launched one of the world's most powerful rockets in a major step forward for its planned mission to Mars in 2020.

The heavy lift Long March 5 rocket carrying a test satellite payload blasted off from the Wenchang launch site on the southern island of Hainan at 8:45 pm (1245 GMT), a livestream from state broadcaster CCTV showed.

"After more than 2,000 seconds, the Shijian 20 satellite was sent into its predetermined orbit," the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The rocket launch "tests key technologies related to future space missions," Xinhua said.



China's launch of its first Long March 5 rocket in November 2016 (pictured) was a leap forward for its ambitious space programme (AFP Photo/STRINGER)

Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/china-launches-powerful-rocket-boost-2020-mars-mission-133359884.html

[SCVDem]

1. It made me think of this song.

Fly Safe!

[Southern Blueneck]

2. This mission is unstaffed

But I've little doubt that China will be the first to put humans on Mars. Not being a democracy, its government won't have to worry about public opinion if the first few tries end in disaster, which I firmly believe will be the case. This is Mars we're talking about, after all.

[marble falls]

3. There's so much that's unknown this point, like how does one return a rocket from Mars?

[Bearware]

4. You need to get enough equipment to make a fuel generation plant on Mars requiring multiple launches