Red planet ambitions. Beijing seeks to plant red flag on Mars to boost China's status back on Earth

On July 23rd China launched its first Mars exploration mission – Tianwen-1 – which is expected to land on the Red Planet’s surface in the first quarter of 2021. Most of the analysis conducted on Tianwen-1 focused on the technological and scientific aspects of the mission, while far too little attention has been paid to the political significance of the launch and to the strategic rational of such a risky program. In trying to fill this gap, this essay will analyze China’s Mars exploration program from a historical perspective, looking at its development in the broader saga of Mars exploration history. Second, the essay will provide some explanations of why the Communist Party of China is interested in going to Mars; finally it will discuss the significance of the Tianwen-1 mission in changing the balance of power in outer space, while assessing its impact in relation to the challenge posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.