Hold onto your space helmets! China is gearing up for a historic mission to collect Martian samples and return them to Earth by 2031, aiming to solve Mars’ biggest mystery: Did life ever exist there? The ambitious Tianwen-3 mission, set for dual launches around 2028, will land on the Red Planet’s surface, scoop up soil and rocks, and blast them back home—all in one epic interplanetary operation.
Scientists are zeroing in on 86 potential landing sites, including ancient coastal regions and dried-up lakebeds in Chryse Planitia and Utopia Planitia. Why these spots? They’re like Mars’ ‘time capsules’—ideal for preserving clues about potential ancient microbial life!
The mission’s brain trust, including chief scientist Hou Zengqian, revealed their game plan in National Science Review: ‘Where to dig? What to test? How to keep samples fresh?’ They’re packing drills, scoops, and cutting-edge tech to hunt for biological signatures. Bonus? The spacecraft will carry international instruments, with global scientists collaborating on the analysis. Teamwork makes the dream work!
And here’s the kicker: China’s already eyeing Jupiter next! The Tianwen-4 mission will explore the gas giant and its moons, unraveling secrets of our solar system’s evolution.
The ambitious Tianwen-3 mission, set for dual launches around 2028, will land on the Red Planet’s surface, scoop up soil and rocks, and blast them back home—all in one epic interplanetary operation.
China's Chang'e-6 Makes Historic Moon Landing to…
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