In 2028-2030 China plans to send the Tianwen-3 mission to Mars. Its purpose is to collect and deliver samples
What is known
China intends to send severalvehicles from two approaches using Long March 5 rockets. A landing module and an ascent vehicle will arrive on the Red Planet. The orbital module and spacecraft will remain in orbit.
A robot equipped with six legs willcollect soil samples at a depth of up to 2 meters. He will be helped in this by an unmanned aerial vehicle, reminiscent of the American Ingenuity helicopter, which has made more than 50 flights.
China wants to receive 500 g of images and send theminto the space. The orbiter will redirect the samples to the spacecraft, which will take them back to Earth. China expects to launch the Tianwen-3 mission from 2028 to 2030. It will last for approximately three years.
National Aeronautics Administration andNASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) want to bring soil samples to Earth in 2033. If China launches the mission in 2028, then if successful, it will be able to get ahead of the competition and receive samples as early as the summer of 2031.