2016年CRI China's 1st Mars mission aims at three goals

 

China's first Mars voyager mission is expected to be launched around 2020 and reach the Red Planet a year or so later.

The computer generated images unveiled by the Chinese State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense¹ show a six-wheeled rover which will explore the surface of Mars, along with orbiter and lander that will deliver it onto the surface. 

Chief designer Zhang Rongqiao. 

"The voyager is an all-in-one composite. We need an orbiter to orbit Mars; we need a landing capsule and a rover for after-landing maneuvers². The landing capsule makes sure that the rover lands safely through the atmosphere of Mars. We call the rover Mars vehicle."

The chief designer went on to give further details of the landing capsule and how it will descend³ onto the planet's surface.

"In appearance, it looks like the re-entry capsule of the manned spacecraft; in effect, it deploys⁴ parachutes after the atmosphere slows it down; it then drops off its bottom cover and uses its bottom thrusters to apply the braking effect. When it gets close enough to the Mars surface, it deploys its landing legs which helps it further decelerate, aiding its deceleration systems."

The rover will carry 13 payloads including a remote sensing camera and a ground penetrating⁵ radar⁶ which could be used to study the soil, environment, atmosphere of Mars, as well as the planet's physical fields and its inner structure.

Mars is the fourth planet away from the Sun, and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, after Mercury. 

It is an earth-like planet with a thin atmosphere.

It is often referred to as the "Red Planet" because the iron oxide⁷ prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance. 

The rotational⁸ period and seasonal⁹ cycles of Mars are quite similar to those of Earth, as is the tilt¹⁰ that produces the seasons.

There have been 43 Mars exploration missions so far, conducted by the United States, Russia, the European Space Agency, India and Japan. Only half of these missions succeeded, with the United States having both orbited and landed on Mars and with Russia just conducting a landing.

Zhang Rongqiao said China has gained a lot of experience and technological¹¹ know-how¹² from its manned and unmanned space missions, and said what the country had learned from its Moon exploration missions may also help this time.

But the chief designer also said a Mars mission presents risks as the planet is still an unknown quantity. 

"We need a combination of different deceleration mechanisms¹³ for our Mars exploration mission; the key is how to coordinate¹⁴ them which we're not quite sure of right now. It poses a tricky¹⁵ question to our mission."

As part of the unveiling in Beijing, a public competition was launched to come up with a name and logo for the voyager.

For CRI, this is Huang Yue.

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句

3 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

4 deploys   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的第三人称单数 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• It then deploys "decoy" programs designed to attract the virus. 然后，它释放“诱饵”去吸引病毒。
• But when that doesn't work, he deploys his secret defense mechanism. 但没有效果，它要施展绝密自卫武器了。

5 penetrating   

adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的

参考例句：

• He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。
• He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。

6 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

7 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

8 rotational   

adj.回转的，轮流的

参考例句：

• A synchronous motor drives the measuring bob at a constant rotational speed.同步马达驱动测锤以恒速旋转。
• With some limitations,this is true also of rotational degrees of freedom.在某些限定条件下，这一说法对转动自由度也成立。

9 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

10 tilt   

v.(使)倾侧；(使)倾斜；n.倾侧；倾斜

参考例句：

• She wore her hat at a tilt over her left eye.她歪戴着帽子遮住左眼。
• The table is at a slight tilt.这张桌子没放平，有点儿歪.

11 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

12 know-how   

n.知识；技术；诀窍

参考例句：

• He hasn't got the know-how to run a farm.他没有经营农场的专业知识。
• I don't have much know-how about engines.发动机方面的技术知识我知之甚少。

13 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

15 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。