Tag: missions

Global lunar crater distribution map. (Photo provided by the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences)

China: PRC Develops Independent “Lunar Surface Map” for Future Missions! (7.8.2026)

A Chinese research team has completed an updated geologic map of the entire moon featuring a scale of 1:5 million, the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (IGCAGS), said on Thursday.

Representing a significant scientific iteration from the 2024 version, this map effectively rewrites the moon’s geologic history based on the latest research findings. “The lunar geologic history has indeed been rewritten — more precisely, refined and systematized,” said Yang Zhiming, director of the IGCAGS.

Specifically, a primary achievement of this update is the recalibration of the moon’s ancient geologic eras. The new map systematically updates the age boundaries of the moon’s three ancient geologic periods, namely the Aitkenian, Nectarian and Imbrian periods, drawing on recent advances in international chronology.

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China Focus: Mars Rover Zhurong Finds Evidence of Water at Red Planet’s Low Latitudes! (1.5.2023)

In the study, researchers estimated the dunes Zhurong found were formed about 400,000 to 1.4 million years ago. The exchange of water vapor between the higher and lower latitudes during this period led to repeated humid environments at low Martian latitudes, followed by the frequent occurrence of salty water when temperatures dropped in the region.

Qin said the discovery provides key proof of liquid water at Martian low latitudes, where surface temperatures are relatively warm and more suitable for life than high latitudes.

It also provides information for the design of future exploration strategies for Mars rovers. As saline water once existed at various latitudes on the surface of Mars, priority should be given to salt-tolerant microbes in future missions searching for extant life on Mars, researchers said in the study.

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