中国计划在2028年底前完成火星地质图，随着这颗红色星球在其与美国的太空竞争中日益占据重要位置。
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.
中国下一次火星任务“天问三号”的首席科学家侯增谦周一表示，这张地图将覆盖火星整个表面，并旨在成为火星地质年代划分的全球统一标准。
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.
国家通讯社新华社报道称，这张地图将是首幅由人工智能驱动的火星地质图，也将是“天问三号”任务准备工作的重要组成部分。侯增谦表示，地图将纳入中国首辆火星车“祝融号”的探测成果。
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.
这些成果包括有证据显示，约35亿年前火星可能曾存在一个洲际规模的古海洋，约16亿年前还可能发生过短期洪水泛滥。
Those findings include evidence that Mars may have had an intercontinental-scale ancient ocean about 3.5 billion years ago and possible short-term flooding about 1.6 billion years ago.
“祝融号”于2021年5月作为“天问一号”任务的一部分抵达火星，使中国成为继美国之后第二个在火星上着陆探测车的国家。该探测车在火星表面运行了近一年，行驶里程超过1.9公里（1.18英里）。
Zhu Rong touched down on the planet in May 2021 as part of the Tianwen-1 mission, making China the second country after the United States to land a rover on Mars. It operated on the Martian surface for nearly a year and travelled over 1.9km (1.18 miles).
据新华社报道，中国的地质制图项目还将制作一幅比例尺为1∶5万的“天问三号”着陆区地质详图，并编制一套系列图集。
China’s map project will also produce a detailed 1:50,000 geological map of the Tianwen-3 landing zone and an atlas series, according to the Xinhua report.
报道称：“它还将为未来月球、金星和小行星的地质制图提供范例。”
“It will provide a model for future geological mapping of the moon, Venus and asteroids too,” the report said.
中国计划于2028年末发射“天问三号”任务，力争在2031年前后将至少500克（1.1磅）火星样本带回地球。若任务成功，中国将成为首个完成火星样本返回任务的国家。
China plans to launch the Tianwen-3 mission in late 2028, aiming to collect and return at least 500 grams (1.1 pounds) of Martian samples to Earth by around 2031. If successful, that would make China the first country to complete a Mars sample-return mission.
任务将涉及两次发射：一艘航天器将搭载着陆器和上升器，用于采集火星物质；另一艘航天器将搭载轨道器和返回舱，负责将样本运回地球。
It will involve two launches, with one spacecraft carrying a lander and an ascent vehicle to collect Martian material and another carrying an orbiter and return module to transport the samples back to Earth.
与此同时，美国国家航空航天局和欧洲空间局联合开展的火星样本返回任务正受到成本飙升和屡次延期的冲击。
Meanwhile, a joint Nasa and European Space Agency Mars sample-return mission has been hit by soaring costs and repeated delays.
毅力号火星车自2021年2月以来一直在火星上运行，已采集并封存了数十份岩石和土壤样本。
The Perseverance rover – which has been operating on Mars since February 2021 – has collected and cached several dozen rock and soil samples.
按照原计划，这些样本将在2030年代被取回并运回地球。但美国国家航空航天局在2024年估计，该计划的成本可能高达110亿美元，样本最早也要到2040年才能带回。
Under the original plan, these samples would be retrieved and ferried back to Earth in the 2030s. But Nasa estimated in 2024 that the programme could cost up to US$11 billion and return samples no earlier than 2040.
今年1月，美国国会因该计划成本高昂且一再延期，削减其资金，实际上终止了现有计划。
In January, the US Congress effectively terminated the existing programme by cutting its funding due to its hefty price tag and repeated delays.
此后，部分资金被转用于新的“火星未来任务”计划，旨在开发成本较低的技术，而未来任何火星样本返回任务的总体架构和时间表仍不确定。
That has resulted in some funds being diverted to a new Mars Future Missions initiative aimed at developing lower-cost technologies, while the architecture and timetable for any future Mars sample-return mission remain uncertain.
美国在冷战时期与苏联的太空竞赛中完成了首次火星探测任务。1965年，美国国家航空航天局的水手4号成为首个飞掠火星的航天器，并传回了该行星的近距离图像。随后，美国国家航空航天局的首个火星着陆器“海盗1号”于1976年成功着陆火星。
The US completed its first Mars mission during the Cold War space race with the Soviet Union. Nasa’s Mariner 4 became the first spacecraft to conduct a fly-by of the planet and it sent back close-up images in 1965. That was followed by Nasa’s first Mars landing craft Viking 1 touching down on Mars in 1976.
自首个机器人巡视器“旅居者号”于1997年抵达火星以来，已有5台美国巡视器探索过火星表面，其中“好奇号”和“毅力号”至今仍在运行。
Since the first robotic rover, the Sojourner, reached Mars in 1997, five American rovers have explored the Martian surface, with Curiosity and Perseverance still operating today.
中国首个火星探测任务“天问一号”于2020年7月发射，并部署了“祝融号”巡视器。
China’s inaugural Mars mission, Tianwen-1, was launched in July 2020 and deployed the Zhu Rong rover.
祝融号完成了为期90个火星日的预定主要任务，并持续运行至2022年5月。随后，它进入预定的冬季休眠状态，但此后未能恢复运行。报道称，故障主要是由于太阳能板上积聚了大量尘埃，导致巡视器无法产生足够的电力。刘振
Zhu Rong completed its planned 90-Martian-day primary mission and continued operating through May 2022. It then went into a planned winter hibernation but failed to resume operations afterwards. Reports attributed the failure mainly to the heavy dust accumulation on its solar panels that prevented the vehicle from generating enough power. By Liu Zhen