China is planning to launch a Mars probe in 2020 to carry out an independent exploration of the Red Planet.

中国计划于2020年发射火星探测器，对这颗红色的星球进行自主探索。

The probe is expected to reach Mars in 2021 after a flight of around ten months.

Mars exploration is among the 10 major missions so far for Long March-5, the country's next-generation heavy lift rocket.

Other missions include the Chang'e-5 lunar probe that will bring back soil from the moon next year, and the much-anticipated launch around 2020 of the next space station core module.

The launch vehicle is slated to make its maiden flight later this year.