Photo released on Jan. 1, 2022 by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) shows the group photo of the orbiter and Mars. China released on the first day of 2022 a group of new Mars images taken by the Tianwen-1 probe. China's Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, was launched on July 23, 2020. [Photo/CNSA]

China has invited the global scientific community to participate in its Tianwen-3 Mars exploration mission, according to a statement released by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on March 11.

Scheduled for launch around 2028, the Tianwen-3 mission is accepting project proposals from interested institutions until the end of June, with final selections expected by October.

Proposed payloads must align with the mission's core scientific objectives, such as the search for potential traces of life on Mars. CNSA emphasized that selected projects should demonstrate strong innovation in scientific exploration and engineering technology.

While payloads can be included free of charge, foreign partners must independently fund their development and agree to share their data with China. CNSA also encouraged international institutions to collaborate with Chinese payload developers.

The Tianwen-3 mission will consist of a lander, ascender, orbiter and returner. In addition to investigating signs of life, it aims to study the geological features of Mars, its internal structure, atmospheric circulation and escape processes to enhance understanding of the planet's habitability.

CNSA noted that the samples collected by Tianwen-3 are expected to return to Earth around 2030.