Planetary Exploration of China
The Planetary Exploration of China (PEC; Chinese: 中国行星探测; pinyin: Zhōngguó Xíngxīng Tàncè), also known as Tianwen (Chinese: 天问; pinyin: Tīanwèn; lit. 'Questions to Heaven'), is the robotic interplanetary spaceflight program conducted by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The program aims to explore planets of the Solar System, starting from Mars, and will be expanded to Jupiter and more in the future.
| 中国行星探测 Zhōngguó Xíngxīng Tàncè | |
Emblem of Planetary Exploration of China Reaching for the Planets | |
| Program overview | |
|---|---|
| Country | China |
| Organization | China National Space Administration (CNSA) |
| Purpose | Robotic Interplanetary mission |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Program history | |
| Duration | 2016–present |
| First flight | Tianwen-1, July 23, 2020, 04:41 UTC |
| Last flight | Tianwen-1, July 23, 2020, 04:41 UTC |
| Successes | 1 |
| Failures | 0 |
| Launch site(s) | Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site |
| Vehicle information | |
| Launch vehicle(s) | Long March rockets |
The program was initially known as the Mars mission of China at the early stage. It was later announced as Planetary Exploration of China in April 2020. The series of missions was named Tianwen.
The first mission of the program, Tianwen-1 Mars exploration mission, began on July 23, 2020. A spacecraft, which consisted of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover, was launched by a Long March 5 rocket from Wenchang. The Tianwen-1 was inserted into Mars orbit in February 2021 after a seven-month journey, followed by a successful soft landing of the lander and Zhurong rover on May 14, 2021, making China the second country in the world to successfully soft-land a fully operational spacecraft on Mars surface after the United States.
Future missions, including near-Earth asteroid sample return, Mars sample return and Jupiter system exploration, have been planned by PEC.