China plans to carry out the Tianwen-3 mission through two launches around 2028, aiming to bring back samples from Mars, a Chinese space expert said on Thursday.

Liu Jizhong, chief designer of China's Mars sample-return mission, unveiled the details of the plan at the 2nd International Deep Space Exploration Conference in Tunxi of Huangshan City in east China's Anhui Province.

The primary scientific goal of the mission will be to search for signs of life. Other exploration subjects will include the Martian climate and its evolution, Martian geology and the planet's internal processes.

The entire process of the mission plan is very complex, involving 13 phases and utilizing in-situ and remote-sensing detection technologies.

Liu said that the mission will use three methods to obtain diverse samples: multi-point surface sampling, fixed-point in-depth drilling and in-flight vehicle sampling.

China will earnestly adhere to international conventions and carry out measures to safeguard both Mars and Earth, as well as the samples, from contamination during the mission, Liu said.

The Tianwen-3 mission will carry payloads developed through international cooperation, and China will collaborate with scientists from around the world to conduct joint research on Mars samples and detection data, Liu said.

In the long term, China will collaborate with other countries or research institutions around the world to complete mission and task definition, requirement analysis, conceptual research, implementation plan design and key technology breakthroughs for the construction of a research station on Mars, Liu added.