On October 1, 2025, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) released a stunning “cosmic group portrait” — the Tianwen-2 probe captured a frame showing the bright red Five-Starred Red Flag together with the blue Earth, with the white return capsule shining against the backdrop of deep space.
This image, taken from 43 million kilometers away, is not only a special tribute for China’s National Day, but also a landmark moment showing China’s planetary exploration has entered a new era of multi-tasking and cross-planetary exploration.
Tianwen-2: The “Asteroid Hunter” Bringing Samples Home by 2027
Launched on May 29, 2025, Tianwen-2 is China’s first asteroid exploration mission. By October, it had traveled 43 million kilometers from Earth, steadily approaching asteroid 2016 HO3.
- 2016 HO3 is Earth’s most stable quasi-satellite, orbiting in sync with our planet.
- Mission plan: accompany the asteroid, collect samples (hundreds of milligrams to 1 gram), and return them in a capsule by late 2027.
- After sample delivery, the probe will continue to comet 311P, making it the world’s first mission to combine asteroid sample return with comet exploration.
Tianwen-3: Mars Sample Return by 2031, with Open International Cooperation
Scheduled for launch in 2028, Tianwen-3 will aim to return at least 500 grams of Martian samples by 2031 — a breakthrough that could make China the first country to achieve a Mars sample return mission.
- Uses a dual-launch system with orbiter-returner and lander-ascent vehicle.
- Will perform Mars drilling up to 2 meters, surface soil collection, and rover-based rock sampling.
- Key difficulty: autonomous Mars ascent and orbital docking, due to the 20+ minute signal delay.
International collaboration: China opened 20 kg payload space to global partners. The European Space Agency has expressed interest in deploying instruments to study Martian atmospheric escape.
Tianwen-4: A 10+ Year Voyage to Jupiter and Uranus
In 2030, China will launch Tianwen-4 (“Gande”), its first outer solar system mission, traveling 2 billion kilometers over a decade.
- Mission plan: Venus flyby (gravity assist), Jupiter orbit and Callisto study, then Uranus flyby.
- Scientific focus:
- Jupiter’s giant magnetosphere (100x Earth’s).
- Callisto’s 100 km-thick icy crust, possibly hiding an ocean.
- Uranus’s unique 98° tilt and atmospheric composition.
To overcome challenges, Tianwen-4 will use RTGs (radioisotope power), and rely on China’s deep-space network for communications, with 16+ hour one-way signal delays.
China’s Leap: From Follower to Leader in Planetary Exploration
Together, Tianwen-2 (asteroid sample return), Tianwen-3 (Mars sample return), and Tianwen-4 (outer planet mission) form a roadmap: near to far, simple to complex, single-mission to multi-target cooperation.
This path is transforming China’s role in space from follower → competitor → leader.
The name “Tianwen” (from Qu Yuan’s classic poem Heavenly Questions) reflects China’s eternal cosmic curiosity. By 2027 (asteroid samples), 2031 (Martian samples), and 2040 (Uranus images), humanity’s understanding of the solar system will be significantly expanded through China’s missions.
References
- CCTV News, October 1, 2025 — “Five-Starred Red Flag and Earth in One Frame: CNSA Releases Latest Tianwen-2 Image”
