RACE TO SPACE: China
Chinese 'space dream' fuelled by Mars rover success
China last weekend became the second nation after the United States to land on the Red Planet after its spacecraft Zhurong successfully landed on the surface of Mars. China is extending its space ambitions to the masses by getting more young people to be interested in the field. It is not alone in the pursuit of the space dream. The Straits Times bureaus report.
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China's Zhurong Mars rover of the Tianwen-1 mission driving down from its landing platform onto the surface of Mars earlier this month.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Danson Cheong China Correspondent In Beijing, Danson Cheong
When China's Zhurong Mars rover landed on the Red Planet on May 15, its Weibo social media account - the rover's "voice" - shared the momentous occasion, much to the delight of its Chinese fans.
"I've arrived on Mars! ... After flying around Mars for more than three months, I finally found the best landing spot," said the rover.
