Tianwen-3 to Bring Martian Samples Back to Earth Around 2031
The Tianwen-3 mission, part of China's planetary exploration program, is planned for launch around 2028 and will return Martian samples to Earth around 2031. The China National Space Administration today also announced the results of the selection for cooperative projects for the Tianwen-3 mission, with the orbiter carrying three collaborative payloads.
The Mars PEX spectrometer, developed and led by the Exploration Working Group of the International Space Research Committee, will be used to explore traces of life on Mars and detect the mineral composition of its surface.
The Mars molecular ion composition analyzer, developed and led by the Macau University of Science and Technology, will be used to explore the process of Martian atmospheric escape.
The laser differential spectroscopy instrument, developed and led by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, will be used to explore the vertical distribution of water isotopes in the Martian atmosphere and the Martian wind field.
According to Liu Jizhong, chief designer of the Tianwen-3 mission, the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission has achieved breakthrough results in related key technologies through preliminary technical research and in-depth argumentation.
He also revealed: "The Tianwen-3 mission is a major aerospace project with extremely challenging, innovative, and leading characteristics. It is expected to achieve the first human Martian sample return, greatly promote the high-quality integration and development of space science, space technology, and space applications, and fully demonstrate the creativity and international influence of the Chinese nation."
The Tianwen-3 probe consists of a lander-ascender-server combination and an orbiter-returner combination.
Its scientific goals are to explore potential traces of life on Mars, study the geological and internal structural characteristics of Mars, explore the Martian atmospheric circulation and escape processes, and obtain major discoveries in the study of the evolutionary habitability of terrestrial planets.