Hefei City, Anhui Province, east China - Sept 3, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Animations of probe working; planets, other equipment
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Hou Zengqian, academician, Chinese Academy of Sciences; principal investigator, Tianwen-3 mission (starting with shot 1/ending with shot 3):
"The Tianwen-3 mission is progressing smoothly, with intensified efforts being made to overcome technical challenges. The probe equipment has entered the prototype development phase, and scientifically, many scientist teams from across the country are working together to tackle the challenges in accordance with the mission's scientific objectives."
3. Animations of probe working; Mars

The Tianwen-3, China's first Mars sample-return mission, is progressing smoothly, entering the prototype development phase with multiple technical breakthroughs and with scientific preparations underway simultaneously, said the mission's chief scientist on Thursday.

The Tianwen-3 mission, part of China's planetary exploration program, is planned for launch around 2028. It aims to bring Martian samples back to the Earth around 2031.

If everything goes according to plan, the mission will become the first to return the Red Planet's substances to the Earth, helping drive research across various disciplines such as astrobiology and planetary geology, while expanding human understanding of Mars and supporting efforts to explore extraterrestrial life.

"The Tianwen-3 mission is progressing smoothly, with intensified efforts being made to overcome technical challenges. The probe equipment has entered the prototype development phase, and scientifically, many scientist teams from across the country are working together to tackle the challenges in accordance with the mission's scientific objectives," said Hou Zengqian, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and principal investigator of the Tianwen-3 mission, on the sidelines of the International Deep Space Exploration Conference 2026 in east China's Hefei City.