China has invited international observers to test a landing craft that will go to Mars as Beijing seeks more space achievements.
The test was conducted on Thursday at a site outside the Chinese capital that mimics conditions on the Red Planet, where gravity is about one-third the size of Earth.
China plans to launch the spacecraft to Mars next year, to explore parts of the planet in detail.
China's booming space program made a major breakthrough on the moon earlier this year, with a landing probe on the mysterious far side of the moon.
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The program has evolved rapidly, especially since its first mission in 2003, and has sought to cooperate with space agencies in Europe and other countries.
The United States has banned most space cooperation with China over national security concerns, the Associated Press reported.
