China unveils international partners for Tianwen-3 Mars mission

CHENGDU, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The China National Space Administration (CNSA) on Friday announced the results of its international collaboration selection for Tianwen-3, China's first Mars sample-return mission.

Following a call for cooperation proposals in April 2025, in which the CNSA announced it would open up 20 kilograms of payload resources for international collaboration, the agency received 28 applications.

Five projects were subsequently selected based on the criteria of high scientific value, effective mission support, solid engineering feasibility and high technological maturity, the CNSA said during the opening ceremony of the 11th Space Day of China held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The Tianwen-3 mission, part of China's planetary exploration program, is planned for launch around 2028. It aims to bring Martian samples back to Earth around 2031.