With NASA's plan faltering, China knows it can be first with Mars sample return

China is poised to become the first country to return samples from Mars, with plans to launch its Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission using two Long March 5 rockets in 2028. The mission aims to collect Martian samples using a robotic arm and subsurface drill, with a potential return to Earth around 2031, depending on the launch schedule. This initiative comes as NASA's Mars sample return plans face delays and budget concerns, with the agency currently revamping its strategy in collaboration with the European Space Agency. NASA's Perseverance rover is actively collecting samples, but the timeline for their return has been extended to potentially beyond 2040. China's Tianwen-3 mission will include advanced technology for sample collection and is expected to adhere to international planetary protection agreements. Additionally, China has ambitions to explore other celestial bodies, including asteroids and giant planets like Jupiter. The mission's chief designer emphasized the technical challenges involved, likening it to the Apollo program, and expressed openness to international collaboration on the analysis of returned samples.

- China plans to launch its Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission in 2028.

- The mission aims to collect Martian samples and return them to Earth by around 2031.

- NASA's Mars sample return efforts are facing delays and budget issues, pushing timelines to potentially beyond 2040.

- China is committed to international collaboration and planetary protection in its space missions.

- The Tianwen-3 mission is considered one of the most technically challenging since the Apollo program.