Editing Chinese space program (section)

===Mission to Mars and beyond===
{{See also|Planetary Exploration of China}}

[[File:Tianwen-1 in Mars orbit.jpg|thumb|alt=Tianwen-1 probe in Mars orbit.|[[Tianwen-1]] probe in Mars orbit.]]
[[File:Tianwen-1 Lander and Zhurong Rover in Southern Utopia Planitia (ESP 069665 2055-1).jpg|thumb|right|alt=''Zhurong'' rover and lander captured by HiRISE from NASA's MRO on June 6, 2021|[[Zhurong (rover)|''Zhurong'' rover]] and lander on Martian surface. Image captured by [[HiRISE]] from [[NASA]]'s ''[[Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter]]'' on 6 June 2021]]

In 2006, the Chief Designer of the Shenzhou spacecraft stated in an interview that:

{{cquote|搞航天工程不是要达成升空之旅, 而是要让人可以正常在太空中工作, 为将来探索火星、土星等作好准备。

Space programs are not aimed at sending humans into space ''per se'', but instead at enabling humans to work normally in space, and prepare for the future exploration of Mars, Saturn, and beyond.|200|100|''[[Chinese Academy of Sciences|CAS]] Academician [[Qi Faren]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://scitech.people.com.cn/GB/25892/4028044.html|title=戚发韧：神六后中国航天面临极大挑战|publisher=人 民 网|date=2006-01-15|access-date=May 13, 2008|archive-date=January 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118173944/http://scitech.people.com.cn/GB/25892/4028044.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}

[[Sun Laiyan]], administrator of the China National Space Administration, said on July 20, 2006, that China would start deep space exploration focusing on [[Mars]] over the next five years, during the [[Eleventh Five-Year Plan (People's Republic of China)|Eleventh Five-Year Plan]] (2006–2010) Program period.<ref>[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200607/20/eng20060720_284801.html People's Daily Online - Roundup: China to develop deep space exploration in five years]</ref> In April 2020, the [[Planetary Exploration of China]] program was announced. The program aims to explore planets of the Solar System, starting with Mars, then expanded to include [[ZhengHe (spacecraft)|asteroids and comets]], [[Chinese Jupiter probe|Jupiter]] and more in the future.<ref name="Tianwen-announcement-en">{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Andrew |title=China's Mars mission named Tianwen-1, appears on track for July launch |url=https://spacenews.com/chinas-mars-mission-named-tianwen-1-appears-on-track-for-july-launch/ |website=[[SpaceNews]] |access-date=21 May 2021 |date=April 24, 2020}}</ref>

The first mission of the program, [[Tianwen-1]] Mars exploration mission, began on July 23, 2020. A spacecraft, which consisted of an orbiter, a lander, a [[Zhurong (rover)|rover]], a remote and a deployable camera, was launched by a [[Long March 5]] rocket from [[Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site|Wenchang]].<ref name="Tianwen-launch"/> The Tianwen-1 was inserted into Mars orbit in February 2021 after a seven-month journey, followed by a successful soft landing of the lander and Zhurong rover on May 14, 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Andrew |url=https://spacenews.com/chinas-zhurong-mars-rover-lands-safely-in-utopia-planitia/ |title=China's Zhurong Mars rover lands safely in Utopia Planitia |work=[[SpaceNews]] |date=May 14, 2021 |access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref>