Beijing, China — China is poised to embark on a monumental space mission to collect Martian samples and return them to Earth around 2031. The primary scientific goal of this ambitious endeavor is the search for signs of life on the red planet, according to the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory.
The Tianwen-3 mission is slated for two launches around 2028. Unlike previous missions, it aims to execute landing, sampling, and return operations in one integrated sequence. The chosen landing site will also serve as the sampling location, streamlining the mission’s objectives.
In a recent article published in the November edition of the journal National Science Review, leading scientists including Chief Scientist Hou Zengqian and Chief Designer Liu Jizhong outlined their comprehensive exploration strategy. The plan addresses critical questions such as “where to sample,” “what to choose,” “how to sample,” and “how to utilize” the collected Martian materials.
The team has proposed 86 potential landing sites, primarily concentrated in the ancient regions of Chryse Planitia and Utopia Planitia. These areas encompass diverse geological environments such as ancient coastlines, deltas, lakes, and canyon systems. Such terrains offer favorable conditions for the origin and preservation of potential ancient life, making them ideal for the mission’s objectives.
To maximize the potential for discovering biosignatures, the scientists plan to employ both surface and drilling sampling techniques. They emphasized the importance of developing new instruments specifically designed for detecting signs of life, which includes identifying, locating, and preserving any biosignatures found.
The Tianwen-3 mission is also a platform for international collaboration. It will carry payloads developed through global partnerships, and China has extended invitations to scientists worldwide to participate in joint research on Mars samples and the data collected during the mission.
Looking beyond Mars, China is also setting its sights on the Jovian system. The upcoming Tianwen-4 mission plans to probe Jupiter and its moons to investigate their evolutionary history, further demonstrating China’s growing prowess in deep space exploration.
Reference(s):
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