China is scheduled to launch an unmanned probe to Mars on Thursday, aiming to demonstrate its technological prowess as it makes a bid for global leadership in space with its first independent mission to visit another planet.

The probe, due to blast off on the Long March 5 Y-4 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in the southern island province of Hainan, is expected to reach Mars in February where it will attempt to deploy a rover to explore the planet for 90 days.