China is Testing A Rocket that Should Send A Scout to Mars Next Year. China today launched orbit a satellite around the earth. However, the focus was primarily on the rocket that contained the communication probe.

That Long Mars 5 has to launch a scout for Mars next year, an ambitious project.

The launch on Friday took place from the Wenchang launch complex on the southern island of Hainan. According to the authorities, she was “a complete success”. The previous launch of a Long March 5, in July 2017, still failed.

As a result, the trip to Mars was postponed from this year to next summer. A new setback would have caused even more delay.

Next year’s Mars explorer is called Huoxing-1. Among other things, he must look for molecules in the soil of Mars to see if there are traces of life.

The Long March 5 should also launch a mission to the moon at the end of next year. That robot, Change 5, has to pick up soil and rocks from the moon and bring them back to Earth.