China has unveiled a list of eight probable names for its ambitious mars mission that is slated for a takeoff by year 2020. Among these eight names, one final name will be selected for mars probe in April this year.
These eight names are as follows: 'Fenghuang' (phoenix), 'Tianwen' (questions for heaven), 'Huoxing' (Mars), 'Tenglong' (soaring dragon), 'Qilin' (Kylin), 'Zhuque' (rose finch), 'Zhuimeng' (chasing dreams) and 'Fengxiang' (flying phoenix).
These eight names were shortlisted from over 14,500 names that were submitted via 35,900 proposals sent by people across the world. These proposals were accepted by August last year.
According to state owned Xinhua news agency, the selections of final eight names were made through jury review and online polls.
Chinese government is desperate to achieve success in its ambitious Mars mission. Not only because China's maiden mars mission in 2011 spectacularly failed, but India also managed to out-manoeuvre China in the Mars probe with its successful Mangalyaan project in 2013.
India's mars orbiter has been orbiting the Red Planet since September 2014. The spectacular success of the project meant that India became the first ever Asian country to reach the orbit of the red planet. Russia, U.S and EU are the other three countries to achieve this milestone.
However, China's mars mission is far more challenging than India's mars probe. Since China's mars mission is not merely focussed on orbiting the red planet, but will land a rover on it and study its surface.
Over the years Chinese government has been spending relentlessly on its space missions with the clear aim to demonstrate itself as one of the 'space superpowers' of the world. The Chinese government certainly seems to be desirous in seeing itself in the league of space giants like U.S, Russia and E.U.
Many experts argue that China's space campaign has been less propelled by a scientific temperament and more by its propensity to show off its new found economic success and wealth.