As part of its bid to become a space superpower and rival NASA, China is making significant advancements in space exploration. Besides expanding the Tiangong space station and creating the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), China plans to send crewed missions to Mars in the next decade.
In anticipation of landing taikonauts on the Red Planet, China aims to return Martian soil and rock samples to Earth approximately two years ahead of NASA-ESA’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission. This will mark the third mission in the China National Space Administration’s (CNSA) Tianwen program (Tianwen-3), with launches in 2028 and sample return planned for July 2031.
A recent study published in the Chinese Science Bulletin announced the development of a new numerical model, called the Global Open Planetary atmospheric model for Mars (GoPlanet-Mars), by Chinese scientists to simulate Martian atmospheric conditions in support of the Tianwen-3 mission.
The research involved the Institute of Atmospheric Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAP-CAS), the State Key Laboratory of Numerical Simulation of Atmospheric Science and Geohydrodynamics (LASG), and the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (SEPS-UCAS).
Given the expansion of Mars exploration missions, the need for Martian atmospheric modeling is increasingly crucial. The GoMars model developed by the Chinese scientists successfully replicated the unique features of the Martian atmosphere and has potential applications for mission planning and virtual reality simulations.
China’s focus on understanding Mars’ atmospheric conditions is critical for the success of future crewed and robotic missions to the Red Planet. The information gathered will help mission planners design appropriate vehicles and landing sites, taking into account factors such as dust storms, which have affected previous missions to Mars.
In light of the growing interest in Martian exploration, the development of atmospheric models for Mars will play a significant role in overcoming the challenges associated with landing and operating spacecraft on the planet’s surface.
The Mars exploration efforts of various space agencies, including China, NASA, and the ESA, represent a new era of space exploration that ventures beyond the Moon and looks toward reaching Mars. With the race to Mars heating up, the scientific and technological advancements being made by China and other spacefaring nations are paving the way for humanity’s future exploration of the Red Planet.
This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.
