China aims to beat NASA, ESA in returning Mars samples to Earth

New Delhi: China's Mars sample return mission aims to collect samples from the Red Planet and deliver them to Earth in 2031, or two years ahead of a NASA and ESA joint mission, said a media report. According to Sun Zezhou, chief designer of the Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter and rover mission, China plans for a two-launch profile, lifting off in late 2028 and delivering samples to Earth in July 2031, SpaceNews reported. China's sample return mission was first revealed in a white paper released in January, which stated the country's ambitious space exploration plans for the next five years. The…