China's first Mars probe is on course to launch in October of this year. Yinghuo-1 (萤火一号) is a joint operation with Russia and will search for the causes behind the disappearance of
water on Mars.
There is substantial evidence that water was once abundant on Mars (see below), but the precise reason for its disappearance has until now only been speculation.
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| Evidence of Water in Ravi Vallis |
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Areas where evidence for water is found
in the form of outflow channels |
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Outflow channels, like this one seen in Ares Vallis are seen
as evidence that water once flowed on the Martian surface. |
