China Set to Launch Mars Sample Return Mission in 2028
China is preparing to launch its Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission in 2028, as confirmed by the mission's lead designer, Liu Jizhong. Speaking at the second international conference on deep space exploration (Tiandu) in Tunxi, Anhui province on September 5, Liu provided an update on the ambitious mission.
Tianwen-3 will involve two separate launches from Earth, both utilizing Long March 5 rockets. The first launch will carry a lander and ascent vehicle, while the second will transport an orbiter and return module. The entry, descent, and landing procedures will build on the technology used in the Tianwen-1 rover mission.
The mission might also include innovative tools like a helicopter and a six-legged crawling robot to collect samples from areas beyond the landing site.
Earlier this year, Sun Zezhou, a senior engineer at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), mentioned that the work on Tianwen-3 is progressing "relatively smoothly" and is expected to launch around 2030. The mission's timeline has shifted between 2028 and 2030 due to the limited optimal launch windows for Mars, which occur every 26 months. Updates on the mission have provided limited details on hardware progress, making it difficult to pinpoint an exact launch date.
Meanwhile, NASA is also developing its own, more complex Mars sample return mission. However, due to projected cost overruns, the program is under reassessment, with studies underway to find faster and more cost-effective solutions.