PIA01152: Topographic Map of Pathfinder Landing Site

Target Name: Mars Is a satellite of: Sol (our sun) Mission: Mars Pathfinder (MPF) Spacecraft: Mars Pathfinder Lander Instrument: Imager for Mars Pathfinder Product Size: 1219 samples x 1373 lines Produced By: U.S. Geological Survey Producer ID: P49714 MRPS86819 Addition Date: 1998-03-26 Other Information: Science Magazine, 5 December, 1997 Primary Data Set: MARS_PATHFINDER_PAGE Full-Res TIFF: PIA01152.tif (1.384 MB) Full-Res JPEG: PIA01152.jpg (291.8 kB)

Original Caption Released with Image: Topographic map of the landing site, to a distance of 60 meters from the lander in the LSC coordinate system. The lander is shown schematically in the center; 2.5 meter radius circle (black) centered on the camera was not mapped. Gentle relief [root mean square (rms) elevation variation 0.5 m; rms a directional slope 4O] and organization of topography into northwest and northeast-trending ridges about 20 meters apart are apparent. Roughly 30% of the illustrated area is hidden from the camera behind these ridges. Contours (0.2 m interval) and color coding of elevations were generated from a digital terrain model, which was interpolated by kriging from approximately 700 measured points. Angular and parallax point coordinates were measured manually on a large (5 m length) anaglyphic uncontrolled mosaic and used to calculate Cartesian (LSC) coordinates. Errors in azimuth on the order of 10 are therefore likely; elevation errors were minimized by referencing elevations to the local horizon. The uncertainty in range measurements increases quadratically with range. Given a measurement error of 1/2 pixel, the expected precision in range is ~ 0.3 meter at 10 meter range, and ~ 10 meters at 60 meter range. Repeated measurements were made, compared, and edited for consistency to improve the range precision. Systematic errors undoubtedly remain and will be corrected in future maps compiled digitally from geometrically controlled images. Cartographic processing by U.S. Geological Survey. NOTE: original caption as published in Science Magazine Mars Pathfinder is the second in NASA's Discovery program of low-cost spacecraft with highly focused science goals. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, developed and manages the Mars Pathfinder mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Image Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS