Topographic Reconstruction of the “Tianwen-1” Landing Area on the Mars Using High Resolution Imaging Camera Images

Abstract

High-resolution optical cameras have always been important scientific payloads in Mars exploration missions, and the Mars topographic data produced by their detection data can provide support for scientific research on Mars geomorphology and geological structure evolution. As of December 2021, there are still relatively few high-resolution image data at the sub-meter level on the Martian surface, with about 2.6% global coverage and even more limited stereo coverage (just about 0.4%). At the same time, there are still some difficulties in data acquisition and terrain reconstruction processing methods for high-resolution Mars images that need to be solved. This paper described how we designed the in-orbit stereo imaging strategy based on the characteristics of the High Resolution Imaging Camera (HiRIC) of China's first Mars exploration mission (Tianwen-1), studied the technical solutions for HiRIC stereo image photogrammetry processing, and produced a topographic dataset for the "Tianwen-1" landing area, including digital orthophoto map (DOM) with a GSD (ground sample distance) of 0.7, 3.5m, and digital elevation model (DEM) with a GSD of 3.5m. Precision analysis results show that this topographic data has good consistency in planar position and elevation compared with the existing Mars terrain data, and has advantages in spatial resolution and terrain detail expression, which will be widely used in the geological background study of the "Tianwen-1" landing area, as well as landing site positioning, Martian surface remote operation planning and other Mars scientific research and engineering tasks.

Progress and prospects for research on Martian topographic features and typical landform identification

“…Kim and Muller, 2008 developed a processing workflow by combining digital terrain models (DTMs) of 0.5-4 m networks extracted from the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and DTMs of 12-18 m grids extracted from stereo image pairs. Yan et al (2022) produced a topographic dataset of the "Tianwen-1" landing area based on the HiRIC stereo photogrammetry processing scheme, with a ground sampling distance of 0.7 m, a digital orthophoto map (DOM) resolution of 3.5 m, and a digital elevation model (DEM) resolution of 3.5 m. Lakdawalla (2005) used Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data to produce a global topographic map of Mars.…”

Multi-Channel Hyperspectral Imaging Spectrometer Design for Ultraviolet Detection in the Atmosphere of Venus

“…Although this system meets the requirements for multi-channel detection, it necessitates the use of multiple spectral imaging systems, leading to issues such as excessive volume. Tianwen-1 is China's second Mars exploration mission, and it carries a high-resolution camera with a working spectral range of 0.45~0.9 µm [39]. The system is designed with a long focal length and three-mirror optical structure, consisting of three reflective mirrors with focal power and one flat mirror without focal power.…”