China's Zhurong rover uncovers evidence of ancient ocean shoreline on Mars

China's Zhurong rover has discovered what appears to be an ancient shoreline in Mars' northern hemisphere, supporting the idea that an ocean existed on the planet billions of years ago. This finding comes from data collected since Zhurong's landing in 2021. The rover's observations, combined with satellite data, revealed features like sediment channels and mud volcanoes, suggesting water-related activity. Researchers estimate this ancient ocean existed around 3.68 billion years ago and may have frozen before drying out. China plans to accelerate its Mars sample return mission to 2028, aiming to bring Martian samples to Earth by 2031. This timeline could allow for detailed analysis of Mars' water history before NASA's own sample return mission, which faces delays and budget issues.