China reveals plan to map the entire surface of Mars by 2028 amid race with US
Por Liu Zhen — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement 2026 Xi-Trump summits China Science China reveals plan to map the entire surface of Mars by 2028 amid race with US
It will be the first AI-driven geological map of the planet and aims to be the global standard, chief scientist on Tianwen-3 mission says
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Liu Zhen Published: 10:20am, 29 Sep 2026
China plans to complete a geological map of Mars by the end of 2028, as the red planet increasingly features in its space rivalry with the United States.
Hou Zengqian, chief scientist of China’s next Mars mission known as Tianwen-3, on Monday said the map would cover the entire surface of the planet and it aimed to be the global standard for the Martian geological ages.
State news agency Xinhua reported that the map would be the first AI-driven geological map of Mars and would be an important part of preparations for the Tianwen-3 mission.
Hou said the map would incorporate findings from Zhu Rong, the first rover China sent to Mars.
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