叶培建委员:中国探测器有望2021年到达火星!

China is planning to launch a Mars probe in the year 2020 to carry out an independent exploration of the Red Planet after a joint mission with Russia failed in 2011, said Ye Peijian, a top space scientist and national political adviser.

近日，全国政协委员、顶级空间科学家叶培建透露，在2011年与俄罗斯的联合任务失败之后，我国计划于2020年发射火星探测器，对火星开展独立探索。

The probe is expected to reach Mars in 2021 after a flight of seven to ten months, he said on Friday during the annual session of the national political advisory body in Beijing. "Consensus has been reached among policymakers and leading scientists," he said.

该探测器预计将飞行7-10个月，于2021年到达火星。叶培建委员是在上周五全国政协会议期间透露这一消息的。他说：“政策制定者和科学家之间已经达成了共识。”

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the main contractor of China's space missions, said on Friday that the Mars exploration is among the 10 major orders that Long March 5, the country's next-generation heavy lift rocket, has received so far.

作为中国太空任务的主要承办公司，中国航天科技集团公司上周五表示，探索火星是我国新一代重型火箭长征五号已经接受的10大订单中的一个。

Other orders include the Chang'e-5 lunar probe mission that is expected to bring back soil from the moon around 2017, and the much-anticipated space station's core module that will be launched around 2020.

其他订单还包括嫦娥五号的探月任务，该任务被寄希望于2017年从月球带回泥土。此外还有2020年左右发射的备受期待的空间站核心舱等。

The size and structure of the Mars probe will be similar to Chang'e-3, China's first lunar lander that was launched in 2013, though there are many differences, he said.

叶培建还透露，尽管有许多不同之处，但是我国火星探测器的大小和结构，与我国于2013年发射的第一个月球着陆器嫦娥三号相似。

At present, scientists have started making technological preparations for communications, possible landing on the Mars, and how to deal with the planet's extreme environment, he said.

叶培建表示，目前，科学家们已经开始对包括通讯、着陆的可能性以及火星极端环境的处理进行着各项技术准备。

"There are many challenges in front of us ... but I think it is likely we will send the probe to Mars given our all-out efforts, the know-how we gained from past missions and everybody's support," he said.

他说：“我们面临着许多挑战，但是我想，通过过去的发射经验以及每个人的努力，我们一定会竭尽所能地将探测器发射到火星上去的。”