Strategies for International Collaboration in Planetary Geologic Mapping

As international partnerships and commercial entities propose upcoming missions to the Moon and Mars, global scientific collaboration has never been more critical. Despite significant advances in planetary exploration, the lack of standardized international mapping practices and limited access to training has hindered truly global participation in planetary cartography. Planetary geologic mapping provides a common ground where diverse nations, institutions, and private organizations can unite to achieve shared scientific and exploratory goals. Maps play a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of planetary surfaces, supporting mission planning and operations, and ensuring the safety and success of exploration efforts. Based on feedback from recent international planetary mapping workshops and published community recommendations, we advocate here for the following strategies toward fostering international collaboration. First, we support education to train the next generation of planetary scientists and mappers, particularly in underrepresented regions, to ensure a diverse and capable workforce. In addition to university programs and certificates, virtual workshops, international exchange programs, and accessible educational resources are proven methods to democratize access to this field. Second, we encourage planetary mappers to share data and products through space agency archives and repositories following the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) principles, so that scientists worldwide can contribute their unique perspectives to solve geologic problems and investigate planetary phenomena. Third, we support the development of standardized methods for geologic mapping—particularly focusing on consistent crater age dating techniques and structural feature documentation—especially as they can be applied to terrestrial planets, moons, and small bodies. Aligning these standards with established terrestrial cartographic practices, while innovating and adapting them for extraterrestrial environments, will ensure consistency and comparability over the coming decades. We propose establishing an International Planetary Cartography Working Group to develop collaboration on cartographic conventions and symbology that will likewise enable seamless integration of map efforts across nations and industries. Fourth, we urge the scientific community to prioritize inclusive naming conventions that incorporate indigenous astronomical knowledge and multilingual perspectives to reflect the cultural and linguistic richness of Earth, promoting global representation in the naming process. Finally, we celebrate maps as visually compelling ways to share the importance of space exploration with humanity. We hope that over the next five years, the international community can collectively advance planetary geologic mapping, yielding benefits including enhanced mission return, scientific collaboration, and increased public engagement with planetary science through accessible, standardized mapping products.