BEIJING (AP) — China says its Tianwen-1 spacecraft has entered orbit around Mars on a mission to land a rover and collect data on underground water and possible signs of ancient life. The orbiter-rover combo is the second spacecraft to reach the red planet in two days. An orbiter from the United Arab Emirates led the way on Tuesday. Next week, the U.S. will try to land another rover on the Martian surface. The Chinese mission is its most ambitious yet. Plans call for its rover to separate from the spacecraft in a few months and attempt to touch down. That would make China the second country to successfully land on Mars after the United States.
