China Targets 2028 for Tianwen-3 Mars Sample-return Mission
China is gearing up for the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return (MSR) mission, aiming for a launch around 2028. CGTN's Wu Lei spoke with Liu Jizhong, the mission's chief designer. He shared key details about China's ambitious plan to retrieve Martian samples. China was the first country to successfully send an orbiter, lander and rover to Mars on its first attempt (Tianwen-1). China is only the second country after the United States to successfully land and operate spacecraft on Mars.
Tianwen-1 was an interplanetary mission (2020-2022) of the China National Space Administration (CNSA). China sent a robotic spacecraft to Mars, consisting of 6 spacecraft: an orbiter, two deployable cameras, a lander, a remote camera, and the Zhurong rover. The spacecraft, with a total mass of nearly five tons, was one of the heaviest probes launched to Mars and carried 14 scientific instruments. It was the first in a series of planned missions undertaken by CNSA as part of China's Planetary Exploration program.
Tianwen-1 Mars Mission
Launch Date: July 23, 2020
Orbital Arrival: February 10, 2021
Zhurong Rover Landing Date: May 14, 2021
Completion Date: June 29, 2022
Note: Tianwen-2 is an asteroid sample-return mission. Launch is set for 2025.
Video Credit: CGTN
Duration: 3 minutes
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