China Advances AI-Powered Full Mars Geological Map
Chinese scientists are advancing work on a new-generation full Mars geological map that will become the world’s first AI-intelligent planetary geological chart, according to the chief scientist of China’s Tianwen-3 Mars sample-return mission. Hou Zengqian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, made the announcement during an exclusive interview at the 2026 International Deep Space Exploration Conference in Hefei, Anhui Province.
The project, built on a “data-driven, intelligent mapping” philosophy, will fully utilize data from the Tianwen-1 mission while integrating multiple international data sources. According to Xinhua News, the map will fuse imagery, spectroscopy, radar, and gravity measurement data to highlight new scientific understanding of Mars’ geological evolution, while introducing AI-based technologies for intelligent geological interpretation.
A Milestone in Planetary Mapping
Version 1.0 of the 1:5,000,000 scale full-Mars geological map is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028, Hou said. The project represents a paradigm shift from traditional manual mapping methods to AI-driven approaches, marking the first time artificial intelligence will be applied to create a complete planetary geological map.
The initiative builds on China’s growing expertise in planetary geological mapping. In August 2026, Chinese research teams completed a 1:5,000,000 scale full lunar geological map, which precisely marked over 13,000 impact craters and 81 impact basins. That achievement followed the April 2024 release of the world’s first high-precision lunar geological atlas at 1:2,500,000 scale.
Supporting the Tianwen-3 Mission
The Mars geological map project is closely tied to the Tianwen-3 mission, China’s ambitious plan to become the first nation to return samples from Mars. The mission, which has entered its prototype development stage, is planned for launch around 2028 using two Long March 5 heavy-lift carrier rockets from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan Province.
As China Daily reported, Hou emphasized that searching for potential signs of life on Mars is the mission’s top scientific goal. The mission aims to collect at least 500 grams of Martian samples and return them to Earth around 2031, potentially leapfrogging NASA’s Perseverance rover approach, which relies on a separate follow-up mission to bring its collected samples home.
Eight candidate landing sites have been short-listed based on geological age, water activity history, habitability, and biosignature preservation potential, with the final landing site expected to be determined by the end of 2026. The mission plans to drill up to 2 meters beneath the Martian surface, making it the first international mission to conduct deep subsurface sampling on Mars.
Planetary Protection and Scientific Rigor
Hou told the Global Times that China will build the world’s first planetary protection laboratory, designed to prevent terrestrial microorganisms from contaminating Mars while ensuring the safe isolation of returned samples. The facility will implement a dual-protection mechanism to prevent both forward contamination of Mars and backward contamination of Earth.
“Regardless of whether signs of life are found, the returned Martian samples will have irreplaceable scientific value,” Hou said. Analyses of the samples at microscopic, molecular, and isotopic scales could deepen understanding of Mars’ geology, environment, and the evolution of habitability.
The mission’s scientific framework was first systematically outlined in a July 2025 article published in Nature Astronomy, which described nine scientific themes centered on the search for extant and past life on Mars.
Broader Implications
Mars is widely considered the celestial body most likely to have harbored life beyond Earth. Over the past half-century, 47 Mars exploration missions have been conducted worldwide, yet none have definitively answered whether life ever existed on the Red Planet.
As CGTN noted, Hou said the Tianwen-3 mission will look for microbial traces potentially similar to early forms of life on Earth while also considering the possibility of unknown life forms that may have emerged through Mars’ unique evolutionary history.
The new-generation Mars geological map will serve as a critical scientific tool for selecting the final landing site and interpreting returned samples. It also positions China at the forefront of AI-driven planetary science, demonstrating how indigenous space exploration data combined with cutting-edge technology can advance humanity’s understanding of our solar system.
What to Watch For
The coming months will be pivotal for the Tianwen-3 program. The final landing site selection is expected by the end of 2026, while the mission’s prototype development continues to progress. The completion of the AI-intelligent Mars geological map by 2028 will mark another significant milestone in China’s planetary exploration program, potentially reshaping how scientists worldwide approach planetary geological mapping.