Evaluation and Analysis of Dust Storm Activity in Tianwen-1 Landing Area Based on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Camera Observations and Mars Daily Global Maps

Abstract

The first Mars exploration mission from China (Tianwen-1) was launched on 23 July 2020 with the goal of “orbiting, landing, and roving”. The occurrence of dust storm activities is an important criterion of assessing atmospheric risk for the Tianwen-1 landing process. Dust storm activities from Mars Year (MY) 24 to MY32 in southern Utopia Planitia were identified. Most dust storms only appeared in one Mars Daily Global Map (MDGM), with a lifetime of less than or equal to solar longitude (Ls) = 0.5°. Only if the lifetime of a dust storm is greater than or equal to Ls = 1° can it reach the primary landing ellipse. From Ls = 0–50°, dust storms are mostly in the diffusion stage with a maximum speed of movement of 2479 km/Ls. Then, the speed gradually decreases to the minimum value of 368 km/Ls when the dust storm is in the dissipation stage. If a dust storm moves at an average speed of 750 km/Ls, the safe landing zone is a circle within a radius of 750 km centered on the primary landing ellipse. From March to May 2021, eight dust storms were identified in the Moderate Resolution Imaging Camera (MoRIC) mosaics. Because there was no dust storm activity in MoRIC mosaic on 13 May 2021, we concluded that there would be no dust storm in the primary landing ellipse on 15 May (MY36, Ls = 45.1°). Therefore, the landing time of the Tianwen-1 probe was finally determined as 15 May, which successfully landed in the south of the Utopia Planitia, and the in-situ investigation was carried out by the Zhurong Mars rover.

Martian whole atmosphere model and dust activities: Review and prospect

“…[63] , 从而能够在工程上更好地为观测计划 的顺利实施提供服务. 在天问一号运行期间, 相关研究 团队基于在轨摄像机对沙尘活动做出成功研判 [64] . "祝 融号"火星车也于2022年经历了新一轮沙尘暴 [65] , 因而 未来工作中有必要加深对火星沙尘活动的研究.…”

Martian Dust Storm Spatial‐Temporal Analysis of Tentative Landing Areas for China's Tianwen‐3 Mars Mission

“…According to previous research on the first Mars exploration mission of China (Li et al., 2021; Luo et al., 2021; Qu et al., 2021; Y. Wang et al., 2021; Yao et al., 2020) and the international Mars exploration mission (Golombek et al., 2012, 2017; Vago et al., 2015), we delineate the constraints (in Table 1) of landing areas for the Tianwen‐3 mission.…”