Global community-based traffic and navigation application Waze has revealed that it has joined hands with Extra-terrestrial Intelligence Communications (EICG) to build a thorough and informative map of Mars.

The real-time, crowd-sourced navigation application provider will be working alongside the extra-terrestrial exploratory organisation over the next decade to map key locations on Mars through detailed satellite imagery, in order to provide a practical navigation capability for an unmanned Mars rover.

Two possible landing sites were announced by the organisation last week for the ExoMars unmanned mobile rover, which will be touching down on the Red Planet in 2021, to engage in finding and recovering possible evidence of life.

Waze anticipates that by mapping locations on Mars, the rover will be able to carry out the mission in more efficient manner without going off-track. 

Waze UK head Finlay Clark said: “There is no doubt that the Waze Map Editing Community knows how to build a map. Thousands of Wazers already work in their spare time to ensure maps in their areas are as current as possible so drivers can navigate the quickest routes possible.

"The process of mapping Mars is already underway, with what’s sure to be an exciting slate of unexpected challenges around every crater."

“So when we were alerted to the project we wanted to get our leading map editors, known as Waze Global Champs, on board at the very earliest stage.

“Naturally, or should we say supernaturally, we reached out to Champs from countries that know a thing or two about space exploration and masterful design with the UK leading the way.

"The process of mapping Mars is already underway, with what’s sure to be an exciting slate of unexpected challenges around every crater.”

The proposed landing sites have been simply marked as places until now, with dust storms / volcano activity are major traffic events, and broken-down rovers as potential road hazards.

Image: Waze partners with Extra-terrestrial Intelligence Communications Group (EICG) to create a map of planet Mars. Photo: courtesy of Waze.