China targets historic Mars expedition approximately in 2028, striving for prominence in space dominance.
The Tianwen-3 mission of China, as stated by mission designer Liu Jizhong, will conduct two launches around 2028 to retrieve Martian samples. This timeline is more daring than the 2030 goal initially declared by space authorities, although the deadline has shown flexibility in recent years. A target date of 2028 seems to revert to a plan discussed in 2022 by a high-ranking Tianwen program scientist, which would lead to Earth's receipt of samples by 2031.
The recent comments come after China's groundbreaking achievement in June, successfully retrieving the initial samples from the distant side of the moon. Meanwhile, NASA and the European Space Agency's Mars sample retrieval endeavor is still under review due to budget concerns, complexity, and risk factors. NASA, with a history of Mars landings, is currently examining quicker and cost-effective strategies to speed up results, initially projected for 2040.
Accomplishing the first Mars sample return would be a significant milestone for China's ambitious space program and leader Xi Jinping's dream to make China a space power.
China's advancement - including uncrewed lunar missions and the creation of its own orbital space station - coincides with the US and other countries ramping up their space initiatives due to the potential of lunar and deep space exploration resources and scientific advantages.
The primary objective of China's Tianwen-3 mission is to scout for signs of life on Mars. Besides this, the mission will aim for technological advancements in surface sampling, takeoff, and ascent from Mars, as well as a rendezvous in Mars' orbit, as Liu revealed last week, according to Chinese state media.
In an interview with CGTN, Liu highlighted the challenges associated with the mission, which involves two initial rocket launches and an unprecedented rocket launch off another planet to bring back the samples.
“The return mission necessitates launch from Mars’ surface. Indeed, it is actually a small rocket launch – hence, ensuring the entire flight's reliability will be challenging,” he stated.
China will collaborate internationally around the mission, including by carrying foreign countries’ payloads, sharing samples and data, and planning future Mars research, as per Liu.
Mars Exploration Missions
Mars has long captivated scientists as a prime research destination that could potentially unveil details about extraterrestrial life and our solar system's origins.
China's Tianwen planetary exploration mission series, whose name roughly translates to "questions to heaven," experienced its first success in 2021, when its Tianwen-1 probe reached Mars' orbit and released the Zhurong rover onto the planet’s surface.
Zhurong's landing in Utopia Planitia on May 15, 2021, made China the third nation after the Soviet Union and the U.S. to land on Mars, which is more than 30 million miles away from Earth at its closest approach.
Zhurong's primary objective was to discover traces of ancient life and examine minerals, environmental conditions, and water and ice distribution in the plain.
Research from Zhurong's initial examination of the basin suggested that the Utopia Planitia basin was home to water during a period when many scientists believed Mars to be arid and frosty, according to 2022 research.
The rover was expected to operate for 90 days on Mars but persevered for 358 days and covered 1,921 meters (6,302 feet) on the planet before going into hibernation in May 2022 due to an unusual accumulation of dust.
The U.S. had its first Mars landing in 1976 with its Viking 1 mission, which included a lander that operated for over six years. It surpassed the Soviet Union's Mars 3 spacecraft, which landed on Mars' surface in 1971 but transmitted signals for just 20 seconds.
The most recent U.S. landing on Mars was NASA's Perseverance rover, which touched down in the Jezero crater in 2021 and has since been gathering samples for a future return to Earth.
NASA Chief Bill Nelson declared earlier this year that the U.S.'s planned Mars sample return mission was "one of the most intricate missions NASA has ever undertaken."
In April, NASA announced it was exploring novel methods to recover surface samples, after the budget climbed to as much as $11 billion with a 2040 sample return timeline. In June, it announced it was advocating for a select number of 90-day studies to discover more economical and efficient methods.
The Tianwen-3 mission, initiated by China, aims to explore Mars and potentially retrieve Martian samples, contributing to the global pursuit of understanding Mars' secrets and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Despite the commercial space agencies like NASA facing budget constraints and complexity in their Mars sample retrieval endeavors, China remains determined to lead in this area.
