China Continues to Expand its Space Program, Prepares for Crewed Missions to Mars
China’s ambitions in space continue to grow as it sets its sights on becoming a superpower in space and a direct competitor with NASA. In addition to its plans for expanding the Tiangong space station and creating the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), China is also preparing for crewed missions to Mars in the coming decade.
In a recent study published in the Chinese Science Bulletin, researchers from 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) announced the development of a new numerical model to simulate the atmospheric environment of Mars.
Known as the Global Open Planetary atmospheric model for Mars (GoPlanet-Mars, or GoMars), this model will provide essential research support in preparation for the Tianwen-3 mission, which will consist of returning samples of Martian soil and rock to Earth in 2031, two years ahead of the proposed NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return (MSR).
The study, “Development of a new generation of Mars atmosphere model GoPlanet-Mars,” was led by Wang Bin, a Senior Researcher with the CAS-IAP specializing in climate modeling. The researchers used the model to replicate the three critical cycles of the Martian atmosphere: dust, water, and carbon dioxide, and tested it using the OpenMARS dataset and observations from China’s Zhurong rover and NASA’s Viking 1 and 2 landers.
Wang explained that the Tianwen-3 mission will require detailed information about Mars’ atmospheric conditions, as this is crucial for previous missions that were lost due to sandstorms. The GoMars model also has applications for virtual reality simulations, which are crucial for prepping missions to remote planets and helping select appropriate landing sites.
China’s strides in space exploration come as NASA and the ESA also plan to send the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission, coinciding with NASA’s first crewed mission to Mars leaving Earth. As the space race extends beyond the Moon, it is clear that the journey to Mars is the new frontier.
This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.