China's Tianwen-3 Mars Sample Return Mission Enters Flight Model Phase

China Pushes Ahead With Mars Sample Return

China's ambitious Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission has officially entered its flight model development phase, following breakthroughs in key technologies announced by chief designer Liu Jizhong during the National People's Congress on March 12, 2026.

A Historic First Within Reach

If successful, Tianwen-3 would achieve what Liu has described as the most technically challenging space exploration endeavour since the Apollo programme: the first retrieval of samples from the Martian surface. The mission is scheduled for launch around 2028, using two Long March 5 rockets from the Wenchang Space Launch Site. One rocket will carry a lander and ascent vehicle, while the other transports an orbiter and Earth-return craft.

Three Ways to Collect Martian Soil

Engineers have designed three distinct sampling methods to maximise scientific value: surface scooping, deep drilling to two metres, and drone-assisted collection. The spacecraft will spend approximately one year operating on the Martian surface before beginning its return journey, with samples expected to reach Earth by around 2031. From an initial pool of over eighty candidate landing sites, scientists have narrowed the selection to nineteen, with three final candidates to be chosen by the end of 2026.

NASA's Programme Cancelled

The mission has gained additional significance following the effective cancellation of NASA's Mars Sample Return programme in January 2026, when the United States Congress eliminated nearly all funding for the project. Despite NASA's Perseverance rover having already cached thirty-three sample tubes on the Martian surface, there is now no American plan to retrieve them. China has positioned itself as a collaborative partner, allocating twenty kilograms of payload capacity for international contributors and pledging to share returned samples with the global scientific community.

Lunar Ambitions Continue

China's deep-space programme extends beyond Mars, with the Chang'e-7 lunar probe set to launch in the second half of 2026 targeting the Moon's south pole in search of water ice.