Cheers echoed as the rocket took off into space from the Wenchang Space Center. It is China's first own expedition to another planet and the launch has so far been successful and went according to plan, according to Wenchang.

The country is now seriously entering the rally against Mars. And there are more people crowded on the way to the planet, especially now that our own Tellus for a period of time is in line with Mars, which shortens the route. The United States is planning a trip to the planet on July 30 and the United Arab Emirates launched a rocket on Monday.

The Long March 5 Y-4 rocket, China's largest space rocket, was launched from the island of Hainan in southern China on Thursday. On board is the space probe named Tianwen-1, which can be translated as "Questions to Heaven" and is a wink to a traditional poem with references to space.

"Dominated by the United States"

After watching the United States and the Soviet Union lead the way to space during the Cold War, China has poured billions into its military space program. In the last decade, great efforts and progress have been made to be able to compete with the United States, which since the 1990s has sent four so-called rovers, wheeled land vehicles, to Mars.

"China's accession (to the race against Mars) will change the US-dominated situation for half a century," said Chen Lan, an independent analyst at GoTaikonauts.com, which specializes in China's space program.

Failed before

However, this is not the first time China has tried to reach Mars. In 2011, an attempt failed together with Russia.

The hope is that Tianwen-1, which contains a lander, a rover and an orbiter, will reach Mars in February next year.

-As long as (Tianwen) lands safely on the surface of Mars and sends back the first image, the mission will be a great success, says Chen Lan.