China's Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission is progressing smoothly. Academician Hou Zengqian, the mission's chief scientist, said its top scientific objective is to search for traces of life on Mars. 

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 2026 International Deep Space Exploration Conference on Thursday, Hou added that it is widely believed that Mars represents the most probable location to find life beyond Earth, should such life exist.