The US Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Science Center has generated Context Camera (CTX) and High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) Digital Terrain Models (DTM) and orthoimage mosaics in support of Mars 2020 Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN). The Mars 2020 rover will explore Jezero crater, Mars, and will investigate an ancient delta for evidence of past microbial life and to better understand the geologic history of the region. The TRN landing system onboard Mars 2020 is a new technology developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) that will enable the spacecraft to autonomously avoid small hazards (e.g., rock fields, crater rims) that exceed the safety tolerance of the landing system. This capability allows small-scale hazards to be present in the landing ellipse, providing greater flexibility in spacecraft landing location.
In support of TRN, the USGS has generated the Lander Vision System (LVS) elevation (DTM) and appearance (orthoimage) maps derived from three CTX stereo image pairs. The LVS appearance map will be onboard the spacecraft and will be the "truth" dataset that TRN will use to orient itself relative to the surface during Entry, Decent, and Landing (EDL). See the "Mars 2020 Terrain Relative Navigation Context Camera Orthorectified Image Mosaic" and "Mars 2020 Terrain Relative Navigation Context Camera DTM Mosaic" links below for these products.
In addition, the USGS has also generated HiRISE DTMs and derived orthoimages comprised of six HiRISE stereo models (although procedurally there were seven models, as one HiRISE stereo pair was split into two models). This HiRISE mosaic is the basemap onto which landing hazards identified by JPL (e.g., rock fields and regions of high slope) were mapped. This hazard map will be onboard the spacecraft and used to determine the safest landing location. These maps will also be the base map used by the Mars 2020 planning and science team for planning purposes and to support scientific investigations. See the "Mars 2020 Terrain Relative Navigation HiRISE Orthorectified Image Mosaic" and "Mars 2020 Terrain Relative Navigation HiRISE DTM Mosaic" links below for these products.
