China has officially invited international scientists to join its upcoming Tianwen-3 mission to Mars, scheduled for launch in 2028. The invitation, issued by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), marks a major step toward possibly becoming the first nation to bring back samples from the red planet. Meanwhile, NASA is struggling with new challenges, including the loss of its chief scientist and budget cuts mandated by President Donald Trump. The CNSA has detailed an accelerated selection process for the Tianwen-3 mission. Letters of intent from interested projects are due by June, with final decisions anticipated in October. Chosen projects will get a free ride for up to 20kg of instruments, assuming they can meet the deadline. The agency said that this opportunity is open to the global community. To qualify for the Tianwen-3 mission, projects should be in line with its main scientific objectives, like looking for signs of past life on Mars. Or, they can add extra value to the mission while exhibiting strong innovation in science and engineering. This was confirmed by planetary scientist Qian Yuqi from the University of Hong Kong, who also said this announcement shows Tianwen-3 is on track.