China has launched the Tianwen-3 interplanetary mission, which aims to return samples of Martian soil and rock to Earth. The launch is scheduled for 2028 year, And among the key participants of the project - Professor Ilyan Lee of Hong Kong University (HKU), who heads the team from choosing a landing place.
Tianwen-3 will be the first ever mission to fully return samples from the Red Planet, and special attention is paid to the search for biosignatures — signs of possible microbial life, which may have existed on Mars in the past. In a recent scientific paper for Nature Astronomy, Professor Li emphasized the importance of selecting such regions, where samples can retain traces of organic matter under conditions of protection from radiation and oxidation.
The mission involves the launch of two rockets: one will deliver a landing module with drilling equipment to Mars (to 2 meters deep), and the other is an orbiter to intercept and return the sample capsule to Earth.
Given the risk of biological contamination, China will build a special biosecurity laboratory in the city of Hefei, where primary analyzes of materials will be conducted before their admission to scientific research.
This project is based on the experience of the mission “Zhuzhong” 2021 year, which has already studied the surface of Mars.