A senior space official has confirmed China plans to bring rocks home from the surface of Mars by 2031, which could make it the first nation to deliver Martian samples to Earth.
The timeline is two years ahead of a US-European planned Mars mission to return samples to Earth, according to Sun Zezhou, chief designer of China’s first Mars mission Tianwen 1 as well as the Chang’e 3 and Chang’e 4 lunar missions.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
