The Chinese mainland has charted an ambitious course for deep space exploration, unveiling plans for missions targeting asteroids, Mars, and even the Jupiter system. This bold roadmap was announced by Bian Zhigang, deputy head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), signaling China's growing ambitions in space research and its potential for international collaboration.
A central component of this plan is the trio of missions under the Tianwen banner. The Tianwen-2, set to launch around 2025, aims to explore asteroids that hold clues to the formation of our solar system. Following that, the Tianwen-3, expected to launch in 2030, seeks to collect samples from Mars, building on the success of the Chang'e-6 mission which explored the far side of the moon.
Most daring of all, the Tianwen-4, also scheduled for 2030, will venture into the Jupiter system, marking China's foray into the outer reaches of our solar system like never before.
These missions build on the achievements of the Tianwen-1 mission, which successfully reached Mars in 2021. Bian emphasized that these endeavors aim to advance scientific understanding of the solar system's origin and evolution, the impact of small celestial bodies, solar activities on Earth, and the potential for extraterrestrial life.
Moreover, the Chinese mainland is committed to fostering international collaboration in these ventures. Bian highlighted plans to jointly build the International Lunar Research Station and to share discoveries made on the lunar surface with global partners.
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China outlines plans for missions to asteroids, Mars and even Jupiter
cgtn.com
