Three New Missions Head for Mars

An unprecedented trio of new spacecraft is now on its way to Mars to probe promising locations for ancient life and monitor the planet’s weather[1].The three missions launched by the United States,China,and the United Arab Emirates(UAE)blasted off during a ten-day period in July 2020,and each represents an exploration first.If the Chinese and UAE missions are successful,they will mark the first Mars visits for those countries,as well as China’s first landing on the planet’s surface[2].The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)mission,meanwhile,will set the stage for delivering the first samples of Martian rocks to Earth so they can be analyzed for traces of life[3].