China Focus: Tianwen 1 mission marks first year on Mars

FUTURE ENDEAVORS

The Tianwen 1 mission is only the beginning of China's planetary exploration, and many new endeavors are in the pipeline.

According to a white paper titled "China's Space Program: A 2021 Perspective," the country will continue its lunar exploration with the future Chang'e 6, Chang'e 7 and Chang'e 8 missions. It will complete the construction of an international lunar research station together with other countries, global organizations and partners.

Future plans also include launching an asteroid probe, retrieving samples from near-Earth asteroids, and retrieving samples from Mars.

The Tianwen 2 probe has entered the preliminary prototype development stage.