China will send a robot and helicopter to Mars to collect soil samples and try to complete the mission before NASA

China plans to send the Tianwen-3 mission to Mars from 2028 to 2030. China plans to send the Tianwen-3 mission to Mars. It aims to collect and deliver Martian soil samples to Earth.

Here's What We Know

China intends to send several vehicles to Mars in two approaches, using Long March 5 rockets. A landing module and a take-off vehicle will arrive on the Red Planet. The orbiter and spacecraft will remain in orbit.

The robot, equipped with six legs, will collect soil samples at a depth of up to 2 metres. It will be assisted by an unmanned aerial vehicle resembling the American Ingenuity helicopter, which has flown more than 50 missions.

China wants to retrieve 500g of the images and send them into space. The orbiter will redirect the samples to a spacecraft that will deliver them to Earth. China expects to launch the Tianwen-3 mission from 2028 to 2030. It will last for about three years.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) want to deliver soil samples to Earth in 2033. If China launches the mission in 2028, it could be ahead of the competition and get samples as early as the summer of 2031 if it is successful.

Source: space