China reveals plan to map the entire surface of Mars by 2028 amid race with US

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.