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A comment on NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars.

Re:NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars by billfruit on Thursday July 30, 2020 @10:56AM (#23998916)
Does anyone know why the Chinese probe which seems a lighter payload needs a heavy lift Long March 5 rocket, while Perseverance only requires a medium lift rocket? Is it because of some different approaches in the orbit taken to Mars?

Also how does the UAE probe's approach/trajectory to Mars.

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Re:NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars by pauldino on Thursday July 30, 2020 @11:08AM (#23999057)
I believe the Chinese mission actually does have more mass overall - although the rover is a lot smaller, they're also sending a large orbiter and a landing platform to deliver the rover to the surface.
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Re:NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars by shadowgovt on Thursday July 30, 2020 @11:59AM (#23999658)
That's cool. If NASA and CNSA can work the details out, they can share comms; it's always good to have more redundant comms solutions in orbit.
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Re:NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars by pauldino on Thursday July 30, 2020 @12:33PM (#24000112)
Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on who you ask) NASA is very restricted in what it can do with China, so probably not. But NASA does utilize ESA's Trace Gas Orbiter in addition to their own Mars orbiters for relay operations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_exclusion_policy_of_NA...

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Re:NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars by billfruit on Thursday July 30, 2020 @01:06PM (#24000540)
I heard CNSA is also planning to use an ESA orbiter as backup comms relay, besides using the ESA ground tracking stations as well.
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Re:NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars by peach on Thursday July 30, 2020 @11:02AM (#23998986)
Maybe they're sending something else alongside?
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Re:NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars by sinxccc on Thursday July 30, 2020 @11:47AM (#23999533)
Tianwen-1: 5000kg/11000lb

Perseverance: 1025kg/2300lb

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Re:NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars by pauldino on Thursday July 30, 2020 @12:21PM (#23999946)
The Perseverance mass is just for the rover, but there's a few other components that get it to Mars and on to the surface (the cruise stage, sky crane, etc).

I can't seem to find the Mars 2020 numbers but for MSL (which should be similar) the overall launch mass was 3839 kg of which 899kg was the Curiosity rover itself.

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Re:NASA Just Launched Its New Perseverance Rover to Mars by billfruit on Thursday July 30, 2020 @01:17PM (#24000654)
It appears Tianwen rover is only about 200-300 kg, but their orbiter is massive at 3000+ kg.
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