A Chinese spacecraft went into orbit around Mars on Wednesday on an expedition to land a rover on the surface and scout for signs of ancient life, authorities announced in a landmark step in the country’s most ambitious deep-space mission yet. From a report: The arrival of Tianwen-1 after a journey of seven months and nearly 300 million miles (475 million kilometers) is part of an unusual burst of activity at Mars: A spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates swung into orbit around the red planet on Tuesday, and a U.S. rover is set to arrive next week. China’s space agency said the five-ton combination orbiter and rover fired its engine to reduce its speed, allowing it to be captured by Mars’ gravity. “Entering orbit has been successful … making it our country’s first artificial Mars satellite,” the agency announced. The mission is bold even for a space program that has racked up a steady stream of achievements and brought prestige to China’s ruling Communist Party.

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Source: Slashdot – Chinese Spacecraft Enters Mars’ Orbit, Joining Arab Ship