![Mars missions are latest arena in the US-China rivalry Mars missions are latest arena in the US-China rivalry](https://morningtopnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/200722104308-china-long-march-tianwen-1-rocket-01-super-tease-768x432.jpg)
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Perseverance aims to answer questions about the potential for life on Mars, including seeking signs of habitable conditions in the planet’s ancient past and looking for evidence of microbial life. The rover has a drill which can be used to collect core samples from rocks and set them aside to potentially be collected and examined by a later mission.
By contrast, NASA sent multiple orbiters to Mars before ever attempting a landing. Pulling off the landing is a far more difficult task.
“If successful, it would signify a major technical breakthrough,” the Chinese team wrote in the journal Nature.
Space race
Beijing, for its part, is well aware of the potential prestige it could gain by outstripping the US in space. If Tianwen-1 is successful, it has plans to eventually send a manned mission to Mars.
Mission to Mars
China came late to the space race. And while it has made incredible strides in recent decades, outpacing NASA — at least in terms of bragging rights, if not scientifically — would require something spectacular, like landing a human on Mars.
“Already, from what I’m hearing and based on reports, we are now the leader in space,” he added.
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