China will build a robotic Mars base by 2038

In March, China unveiled an ambitious update to its interplanetary exploration strategy, aiming to establish a robotic research base on Mars by 2038, as part of a broader roadmap to explore the Solar System through 2050. The initiative is managed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

In 2019 China opened Mars Base 1 Camp - a Mars simulation base in Jinchang, Gansu Province

The first Mars-related mission on this roadmap is the Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission, already approved and currently scheduled to launch in late 2028, with the aim to deliver samples back on Earth in 2031.

In 2038 China plans to establish a robotic Mars Research Station focused on in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and conduct long-term Martian environmental and biological research. While initially robotic, the base’s infrastructure will lay the groundwork for future human habitation, mirroring strategies used for China’s future International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) to be permanently habitable after 2035.