Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

China’s roadmap for a Mars Sample Return mission to be launched in 2028.
Image credit: The University of Hong Kong/Zengqian Hou, et al.

While NASA’s Mars Sample Return initiative is in political hot water, China is moving ahead on plotting out its rendezvous with the Red Planet.

New details of China’s aims are emerging. Just how impactful could their success be is now at play within the U.S.

Given the value of Mars samples, not just for science but also to bolster plans for future crewed missions to Mars, robotic return of bits and pieces of the planet is seen by many as mandatory.  

The University of Hong Kong’s Yiliang Li and his collaborator conduct fieldwork to identify and recommend potential landing sites for the upcoming Chinese Mars Sample Return mission.
Image credit: The University of Hong Kong

“Returning the scientifically selected samples that await us on Mars, as part of a balanced portfolio, will help to ensure the US does not cede leadership in deep space to other nations, such as China.”

For the unfolding details, go to my new Space.com story – Is the US forfeiting its Red Planet leadership to China’s Mars Sample Return plan? – at: https://www.space.com/astronomy/mars/is-the-us-forfeiting-its-red-planet-leadership-to-chinas-mars-sample-return-plan