China News Service, Wenchang, July 24 (Guo Chaokai) On July 24, the China National Space Administration's Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center announced that China's first Mars rover has officially launched a global name call.

The picture shows the Long March 5 Yaosi rocket ignited into space at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China. Photo by Luo Yunfei

  China's first Mars rover, Tianwen-1, was successfully launched at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China on July 23, carrying China's first rover to Mars. The relevant person in charge of the China National Space Administration's Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center said that Tianwen-1 is China's first independent Mars exploration project. It allows the general public to participate in the naming of the rover, which is more conducive to the popularization of space knowledge and attracts the public. Attention to the aerospace industry has inspired patriotism.

  According to reports, the call for names is divided into four stages: name submission, judges' preliminary evaluation of the top ten, public voting, and weighted evaluation of top three. The results will be announced after approval. From now until 24:00 on August 12, it is the first stage of the global call for names. The public can submit it through the official solicitation channel of the mobile phone application, or in paper form to the office of China's first Mars rover global naming activity.

  After launching into space on July 23, the Tianwen-1 probe will fly for about 7 months and finally reach Mars. The Landing Patrol will perform a soft landing in a predetermined area in the southern Utopia Plain of Mars. After a successful soft landing, the rover plans to stay on the surface of Mars for 90 Mars days to carry out scientific exploration work such as inspections. (Finish)