China opens international call for instruments on Tianwen-3 Mars mission
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) May 22, 2025
China is encouraging international researchers to join its Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission by proposing scientific payloads for inclusion on the spacecraft.
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has issued a global call for proposals, welcoming submissions from institutions abroad, including those in Hong Kong and Macao, for the development of instruments to be used on the upcoming mission.
Tianwen-3 is scheduled to launch around 2028 as part of China’s planetary exploration roadmap. The mission architecture features five major components: a lander, an ascent vehicle, a service module, an orbiter and a return module. CNSA has confirmed that six onboard scientific payloads will be accessible to international collaborators.
These instruments include a Raman fluorescence spectrometer, ultra-wideband exploration radar, mid-infrared superfine imaging spectrometer, Mars global multicolor camera, descent ENA aurora detector and a high-precision vector magnetometer.
According to CNSA’s guidelines, international payload development must be led by a domestic Chinese institution, and no more than five organizations can participate in the joint development of a single instrument.
To support collaboration, the agency announced last month that it will allocate up to 15 kilograms of payload mass aboard the orbiter and 5 kilograms on the service module for foreign-led research equipment.
Tianwen-3’s core scientific goal is to search for evidence of life on Mars. Additional objectives focus on understanding the Martian climate and its history, studying geological features, and probing the planet’s internal structure and dynamics.
Related Links
China National Space Administration
Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com
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