China Plans Global Mars Geological Map by 2028 for Tianwen-3 Mission

China plans to complete a new-generation global geological map of Mars by the end of 2028, according to Hou Zengqian, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist for the Tianwen-3 sample-return mission. Announced at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, the initiative aims to establish a Chinese framework for Martian geological chronology and promote it as an international standard. The project will incorporate recent discoveries from China's Zhurong rover, including evidence of an ancient ocean and episodic floods, while providing a 1:50,000-scale landing site map for Tianwen-3.

Establishing an internationally accepted geological timescale for Mars would mark a major shift in planetary science, where standards have historically been defined by Western space agencies. Beyond scientific prestige, the mapping initiative provides direct operational support for the Tianwen-3 sample-return mission and creates a methodological template for future Chinese exploration missions to the Moon, Venus, and near-Earth asteroids.

China aims to finish compiling a new-generation global geological map of Mars by the end of 2028, setting the stage for the country's upcoming Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission. The timeline and scope of the initiative were disclosed on September 28 by Hou Zengqian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist of the Tianwen-3 mission, during a symposium at the Institute of Geology of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences. According to state media reports, the project will propose an independently developed Chinese framework for Martian geological chronology, with the goal of establishing China's chronological division standards as an international scientific consensus. Mars is currently categorized primarily under chronological systems established through decades of international orbital and rover data, and introducing a distinct classification scheme represents a significant step in planetary geology for China. The mapping effort will integrate recent findings made by China's Zhurong rover. These include evidence suggesting the presence of an intercontinental ancient ocean on Mars roughly 3.5 billion years ago, as well as indications of episodic flooding that may have occurred approximately 1.6 billion years ago. These discoveries will be directly charted onto the new global map to provide updated geological context. In addition to the global map, core deliverables will include a high-resolution 1:50,000-scale geological map targeting the selected landing zone for the Tianwen-3 mission, accompanied by a series of specialized thematic atlases. Chinese scientists intend to publish the work as the world's first 'intelligent' Martian geological map series. The resulting datasets and mapping methodologies are intended to support scientific preparations and landing-site selection for the Tianwen-3 mission. Chinese planners also expect the project to serve as a research paradigm and operational template for future Chinese geological mapping endeavors covering the Moon, Venus, and small celestial bodies.