“天问”，问天！
2020年7月23日12时41分，我国在海南岛东北海岸中国文昌航天发射场，用长征五号遥四运载火箭将我国首次火星探测任务“天问一号”探测器发射升空，火箭飞行约2167秒后，成功将探测器送入预定轨道，开启火星探测之旅，迈出了我国行星探测第一步！
“天问一号”探测器将在地火转移轨道飞行约7个月后，到达火星附近，通过“刹车”完成火星捕获，进入环火轨道，并择机开展着陆、巡视等任务，进行火星科学探测。
China launched a Mars probe on Thursday, aiming to complete orbiting, landing and roving in one mission, and taking the first step in its planetary exploration of the solar system.
A Long March-5 rocket, China's largest launch vehicle so far, carrying the spacecraft with a mass of about five tonnes, soared into the sky after the take-off at 12:41 p.m. BJT from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of south China's island province Hainan.
About 36 minutes later, the spacecraft, including an orbiter and a rover, was sent into the Earth-Mars transfer orbit, embarking on an almost seven-month journey to the red planet, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
逐梦火星 五问“天问”
#1.为何取名“天问”？
What does the name "Tianwen" mean?
“天问”一名源自战国时期楚国诗人屈原创作的长诗《天问》。在诗中，屈原对苍穹、群星和自然现象展开想象并发问，展示了他对真理的渴望与追寻。这也正体现了中华民族对自然和宇宙空间探索的文化传承，而这不恰恰与我们探索火星的精神相契合吗？
The name "Tianwen" means “Questions to Heaven.” It comes from a poem written by the ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan.
In the poem, Qu Yuan raises a series of questions about the sky, the stars and natural phenomena, showing his desire to seek the truth. Isn't that a perfect fit for the spirit of the Mars mission?
#2.探测器长啥样？
What does the probe look like?
“天问一号”火星探测器包含一个轨道飞行器、一个着陆器和一个火星车。轨道飞行器将围绕火星上方探索，着陆器则负责着陆并在一个固定位置进行地面探测，而火星车会在火星表面四处活动，探索不同地点。
The Tianwen-1 Mars probe consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover.
The orbiter will circle the Red Planet to explore from above, the lander will land the probe and conduct ground detection at a fixed location, and the rover will move around Mars to explore various sites.
#3.为何选择在此时发射？
Why launch now?
地球与火星距离存在复杂变化，对于火星探测任务来说，每隔26个月才会有一个发射窗口期。在发射窗口内，地球和火星的距离最短，在此期间发射的探测器可以用最少的燃料和最短的时间到达火星。
“天问一号”此次的发射窗口在7到8月之间，一旦错过，下一次发射窗口要再等两年才会出现。
For an expedition to Mars, a launch window opens every 26 months. Within the window, the Earth and Mars are properly aligned, meaning the journey will use the least amount of rocket fuel and time.
The launch window for China’s Tianwen-1 mission is open between July and August this year. If China missed this window, it would have to wait another two years for the next one.
#4.成功着陆的几率有多大？
What are the odds of a successful landing?
在火星上成功实现软着陆其实是一个十分艰巨的任务。探测器飞往火星时速度极快，进入火星稀薄的大气层之后，“刹车”就是一个巨大的挑战。
着陆器需要在7分钟之内把速度从每小时两万公里降为零，而任务成败在此一举。
7分钟很难实现地-火通讯，因此整个降落过程需要火星探测器单独完成。成功着陆需要过硬的软硬件加持，不容许任何误差。
A successful soft landing on Mars is actually very hard.
The probe is flying to Mars at an ultra-high speed, so braking in the thin Martian atmosphere presents a big challenge.
The lander will need to reduce its speed from about 20,000 km/h to zero in only seven minutes. This step can determine the success or failure of the mission.
Seven minutes is not enough to complete an Earth-Mars communication, so the entire landing process will need to be done independently by the probe.
A successful landing requires technical support from both hardware and software, there's no room for error.
#5.“天问一号”的具体任务是什么？
What are the missions for Tianwen-1?
首要任务是探寻火星上的生命迹象；
其次将会研究火星大气、地貌、地质和磁场等特征，有助于我们了解火星乃至整个太阳系的起源与演变；
最后，这次任务也许能为人类揭示火星是否有可能成为人类的第二个家园。
The primary mission is to detect signs of life on Mars. Is there life on the planet? Was there life in the past? How are the conditions and the environment? Maybe Tianwen can bring you the answers this time.
Secondly, the probe will help examine the atmosphere, landscape, geological and magnetic characteristics on Mars. This data will provide clues to the origin and evolution of Mars and the solar system.
Last but not least, the Mars probe may reveal whether the Red Planet has the potential to be the second home for human beings.
火星探测的前世今生
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