China advances Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission

China is advancing its Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission, which has entered the prototype development phase. The mission is scheduled for launch around 2028, with the goal of returning at least 500 grams of Martian material to Earth by 2031.

To support this endeavor, a planetary protection laboratory will be constructed in the first phase of Hefei’s Deep-Space Science City in Anhui Province. This facility, operated in part by the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, will implement a two-way protection system designed to prevent terrestrial biological contamination of Mars and protect Earth’s biosphere from potential extraterrestrial life forms. The laboratory's responsibilities will include sample sterilization, unsealing, processing, and biological risk assessment.

Hou Zengqian, a principal investigator for the mission and academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated that scientific teams nationwide are collaborating to meet mission objectives. The Tianwen-3 mission aims to search for signs of life and expand understanding of planetary geology and astrobiology.