China Just Launched Its First Mars Mission. Here’s Everything We Know About It.

Early Thursday morning, China successfully set off its first fully homegrown Mars mission, the Tianwen-1, on to a monthlong space voyage toward the Red Planet, marking a new era in a space exploration sector long dominated by NASA. Tianwen-1, which translates to “heavenly questions,” consists of an orbiter and a lander/rover duo. It’s the first attempt by any country to achieve orbiting, landing and roving all in one go. “No planetary missions have ever been implemented in this way....