China launches first Mars mission ahead of US

China successfully launched an unmanned probe to Mars on Thursday in its first independent mission to another planet in a bid for global leadership in space and display of its technological prowess and ambition. China's largest carrier rocket, the Long March 5 Y-4, blasted off with the probe at 12:41 p.m. (0441 GMT) from Wenchang Space Launch Centre on the southern island of Hainan. The probe is expected to reach Mars in February, where it will attempt to deploy a rover to explore the planet for 90 days. Watch the video for more.

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