Update (Video): China’s Long March 5 Rocket Has “Cleared The Tower” And Reached Orbital Escape Velocity...

In view of all the official tensions between our two nations, I’ll take a moment to celebrate the borderless joy — of fellow space scientists, lauding one anothers’ successes, as advances for all humanity. This week both the UAE, and China took flight, headed for the Red Planet, for the first time.

Indeed, here’s the latest — from The New York Times:

. . . . As ever in China, the launch was shrouded in secrecy in advance, though unofficial video streams posted by Chinese viewers showed the vessel beginning to rise at 12:41 p.m. from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Hainan Island, ringed by crystal blue waters.

Crowds cheered from nearby beaches as the rocket traveled toward the south and east through clear skies on its way out of Earth’s atmosphere. . . .

As ever, we wish the mission team a safe voyage, and every success — in the name of. . . Barsoomisn planetary science. Smiling, widely now. . . .

नमस्ते