China's Zhurong rover discovers signs of ancient shoreline on Mars

China's Zhurong rover has discovered possible evidence of an ancient shoreline on Mars, suggesting the planet once had large bodies of water. Researchers identified geological features resembling coastlines in Utopia Planitia, supporting theories of a Martian ocean billions of years ago. The rover traveled about 2 kilometers and used cameras and radar to gather data. Features like pitted cones and channels indicate past water activity, with evidence suggesting the ocean may have existed around 3.68 billion years ago. While Zhurong's findings are significant, scientists note that confirming Mars' water history will require samples analyzed on Earth. China's Tianwen 3 mission, launching in 2028, aims to return Martian samples by 2031.