China carries out a key experiment for its coming Mars mission in Hebei Province’s Huailai on Thursday in front of dozens of foreign diplomats and journalists. The experiment, which was to verify the design and capability of the lander of China’s robotic Mars probe, was the first of its kind in China, according to Zhang Kejian, director of the China National Space Administration, who oversaw the test. The move is the first time China has opened its Mars mission to foreign visitors, he said, adding it was a practical step in the nation’s exchange and cooperation with the international space community. Xinhua