China has announced an exciting opportunity for international collaboration on its upcoming Mars sample return mission, Tianwen-3. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has invited the global scientific community to participate in the mission, which is set to launch in 2028 and return samples from Mars by 2030. The Tianwen-3 mission will consist of a lander, ascent vehicle, Mars orbiter, and Earth return orbiter.
It aims to investigate potential traces of life on Mars, explore the planet’s geology and internal structure, study its atmospheric processes, and contribute to our understanding of planetary habitability. International partners are encouraged to collaborate with Tianwen-3 at the system or payload level. Collaborative projects can involve scientific exploration as piggybacked projects requiring support from the Earth Return Orbiter or Mars Orbiter or as independent scientific instruments.
The CNSA has allocated up to 15 kg of mass on the Earth return orbiter and 5 kg on the Mars orbiter for international cooperation projects.
China seeks global partners for Tianwen-3
Proposed projects must align with Tianwen-3’s scientific objectives or provide complementary value, demonstrating strong innovation in science and engineering.
Interested institutions must submit a Letter of Interest to the CNSA by June 30, 2025, detailing the necessity and advancement of their project, performance parameters, technical design approach, development plan, and team composition. Initial selections will be made from July to August 2025, followed by technical coordination with shortlisted teams. Full proposals from shortlisted teams are due by September 30, 2025, with final selections to be completed by October 2025.
The flight model of selected projects must be delivered by 2027. This announcement comes as NASA faces budget cuts and organizational challenges, highlighting China’s growing exploration ambitions and willingness to collaborate internationally. The Tianwen-3 mission offers a remarkable opportunity for scientists and institutions worldwide to contribute to a groundbreaking mission in the exploration of Mars.
Image Credits: Photo by Daniele Colucci on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
