Mission / ProgramPlanned LaunchTarget / FocusAstrobiology RelevanceTianwen-3~2028Mars sample returnSearch for past/present life on MarsTianwen-4~2029Jupiter, CallistoPotential ocean world / planetary habitabilityHabitable Env. Simulator~2030Earth-based platformSimulating planetary habitabilityVenus Sample Return~2033Venus atmosphereAtmospheric microenvironmentMars Science Station~2038Mars surfaceLong-term biology and environmental researchNeptune Mission~2039Neptune, TritonHabitability of outer solar system, ocean worldsRelatedChina opens 2028 Mars sample return mission to international cooperation
HELSINKI — China is inviting interested parties to submit proposals to join the country’s pioneering Mars sample return mission, due to launch in late 2028. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) published an announcement of opportunities March 11, officially opening the Tianwen-3 Mars mission to international cooperation. Tianwen-3 aims to…
Venus atmosphere sample return noted in China’s long-term space science roadmap
HELSINKI — China has unveiled a long-term roadmap to guide its space science programs up to 2050, including a mission to collect a sample of the Venusian atmosphere. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the China National Space Administration (CNSA), and the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) jointly announced…
China to launch Mars sample return mission in 2028, will follow planetary protection guidelines
HELSINKI — China is on course to launch its Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission in 2028, according to the mission’s lead. Liu Jizhong, chief designer of Tianwen-3, provided an update on the mission at the second international conference on deep space exploration (Tiandu) in Tunxi, Anhui province, Sept. 5. Tianwen-3…
