BEIJING Sept 7 — China is advancing its Mars exploration timeline, with plans to launch the Tianwen-3 mission two years ahead of schedule in 2028.

This move comes as the US faces significant delays in its own sample return mission, struggling with rising costs and budget overruns, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

Chief designer of China’s Mars mission, Liu Jizhong, revealed the new target during the Second International Conference on Deep Space Exploration in Anhui province. Liu said the mission aims to bring back 600 grams of Martian soil, as China continues its aggressive push into deep space exploration.

The original timeline of 2030 was revised due to growing confidence in China’s technological capabilities, Namrata Goswami, a US-based space policy expert, noted.

The report further stated that the Tianwen-3 mission is expected to return Martian samples by 2031, positioning China to potentially outpace the US in the race for Mars exploration.

"This mission demonstrates China’s ability to safely land, collect samples, and transport them from Mars back to Earth,” Goswami reportedly told the news portal.

She added that success would establish China as the leader in space exploration.

Astrophysicist Quentin Parker from the University of Hong Kong remarked that China’s timeline is ambitious.

"There is now a genuine chance that China could return Martian samples before the US,” he said.

China’s mission will use two Long March 5 rockets to launch the lander and return module. The lander will collect Martian soil using three different methods, building on the country’s previous Chang’e moon missions.

Meanwhile, the US Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission faces an uncertain future. NASA’s Perseverance rover has been collecting samples on Mars since 2021, but an independent review last year estimated that completing the mission could cost US$11 billion (RM51.3 billion) and may not be finished until 2040.

NASA is exploring alternatives and seeking ideas from major aerospace firms, but the delay could allow China to pull ahead.

Analysing Martian samples is considered the next major step in space exploration. "It’s not just a race,” said Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell, "It’s a high scientific priority for understanding Mars and our solar system.”

China’s mission will also search for signs of life on Mars, Liu said, and the country is planning to build a Mars sample laboratory. India and the European Space Agency have also announced their own Mars missions, with India aiming for a 2025 landing.

The Tianwen-3 mission could also speed up China’s long-term goals of establishing a human base on Mars by 2045, according to Goswami.