China unveiled a bold roadmap for deep space exploration on Thursday, outlining plans for missions to asteroids, Mars and even the Jupiter system.

The announcement made by Bian Zhigang, deputy head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), highlights China's growing ambitions in space research and its potential for international collaboration.

A central part of the plan is a trio of missions under the Tianwen banner. The Tianwen-2, which is expected to launch around 2025, will set its sights on asteroids that hold clues to the formation of our solar system.

Then, the Tianwen-3, which is expected to launch in 2030, will attempt to collect samples from Mars, similar to what China just did on the far side of the moon during the Chang'e-6 mission.

Meanwhile, the Tianwen-4, also planned for 2030, will embark on a daring mission to explore the Jupiter system, venturing further into the outer reaches of our solar system than any previous Chinese spacecraft.

These ambitious missions follow on the heels of the Tianwen-1 mission, which reached Mars in 2021.

Bian said the missions will focus on scientific goals like researching the origin and evolution of the solar system, the impact of small bodies and solar activities on Earth and extraterrestrial life.

He also underscored China's commitment to international collaboration, saying that China will work with international counterparts to jointly build the International Lunar Research Station and share lunar discoveries.

(With input from Xinhua)