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  • Category: Tech

China plans to complete a new-generation geological map of Mars by the end of 2028, according to an announcement made by Hou Zengqian, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist of the Tianwen-3 mission, on September 28, 2026.

🗺️ Core Deliverables

The project's main outputs, due by the end of 2028, include:

  • A 1:5 million-scale geological map of the entire planet.
  • A 1:50,000-scale geological map of the planned landing area.
  • A series of thematic atlases supporting the mission.

These will be released as the world's first intelligent Mars geological map, serving as a key scientific preparation for the Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission. The methodology is also intended to provide a template for future mapping of the Moon, Venus, and asteroids.

🤖 "Data-Driven, Intelligent Mapping"

The project's core philosophy is "data-driven, intelligent mapping." It will integrate:

  • Data from China's Tianwen-1 mission, including the Zhurong rover.
  • Multi-source international data.
  • Multimodal information such as imagery, spectral data, radar, and gravity measurements.

A key innovation is the introduction of artificial intelligence to enable intelligent geological interpretation, a first for planetary mapping.

🌊 Incorporating New Scientific Findings

The new map will incorporate major discoveries from the Zhurong rover, including evidence that Mars had a continent-scale ancient ocean approximately 3.5 billion years ago and possible short-lived floods around 1.6 billion years ago.

🌍 A "Chinese Scheme" for Martian Chronology

A central goal is to propose a "Chinese scheme" for dividing Martian geological time. The project aims to promote a chronological standard independently formulated by China to become a globally recognized consensus, reflecting the country's growing role in planetary science.