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Sheikh Mohammed tweets in Chinese as China probe reaches Mars

Dubai - Tianwen-1 reached its Martian orbit a day after the UAE's Hope Probe did.

Published: Tue 16 Feb 2021, 4:46 PM

Updated: Tue 16 Feb 2021, 5:00 PM

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The first image sent back by China’s Tianwen-1 probe. Photo: Reuters

The first image sent back by China’s Tianwen-1 probe. Photo: Reuters

The UAE Vice-President has tweeted in Chinese and Arabic to congratulate China after its spacecraft entered its orbit around Mars.

Tianwen-1 reached its destination on February 10 - a day after the UAE's Hope Probe went into orbit.

DON'T MISS: UAE Hope Probe's first image of Mars labelled, explained

Taking to Twitter, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: "We congratulate China for the success of its Mars mission, as the Tianwen-1 mission reached Mars. We congratulate the Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"Mars and space are new fields for scientific cooperation and building better future for humanity."

China's mission will see it land a rover and collect data on underground water and possible signs of ancient life, state media said. If all goes as planned, the rover would separate from the spacecraft in a few months and attempt to touch down.

DON'T MISS: Here's what Mars looks like up close

The US will try to land its Perseverance rover on the Martian surface this week. Only the US has successfully touched down on Mars — eight times, beginning with two Viking missions. A lander and rover are in operation today.



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