MARS EXPLORATION ROVER:

OVERVIEW OF CURRENT ELLIPSES OF

POTENTIAL LANDING SITES

M. Golombek and T. Parker

Mars Exploration Rover

Landing Site Workshop II

October 17, 2001

Pasadena, CA

LANDING SITES ELLIPSE CHANGES

SITE ELLIPSES

Doppler and Range Tracking and 5 TCMs

220 to 70 km by 30 km for MER A ROTO Sites

340 to 140 km by 30 km for MER B ROTO Sites

SMALL ELLIPSES

DeltaDOR and 5 TCMs Estimate w/o Margin

92 to 43 km by 8-11 km for MER A ROTO Sites

158 to 68 km by 9-11 km for MER B ROTO Sites

PRESENT ELLIPSES

DeltaDOR and 5 TCMs Analysis with Margin

132 to 96 km by 16-19 km for MER A ROTO Sites

140 to 105 km by 16-20 km for MER B ROTO Sites

ELLIPSE GROWTH TO S FOR MER A

Gale, Boedickker, EP69A, Central & NE VM Outflow Ellipses No Longer Fit

LANDING SITES WITH SMALL ELLIPSES

DeltaDOR PLUS 5 TCMs

Small (0.5) Ellipses Possible-Smaller than considered previously for MER

Are there High Priority Sites of Smaller Ellipse Size?

EVALUATED ALL MS ’01 LANDING SITES

Within MER Elevation and Latitude Band

LOOKED AT AREAS WITH SIGNIFICANT MOC COVERGAE

Within MER Elevation and Latitude Band

SITES HAD TO MEET CRITERIA

All Engineering Criteria – elevation, smooth flat

thermal inertia, albedo, rock abundance

As Scientifically Compelling as Existing ROTO and Nadir Sites

NINE POSSIBLE SITES IDENTIFIED

3 Eliminated by Slightly Larger Ellipse

Isidis, Elysium Flow Site, 3 Highland Sites in Terra Meridiani

REQUIREMENTS ON BACKUP ELLIPSES

RETAIN FEW BACKUP ELLIPSES

Just in Case Some of Prime Sites Become Problematic

INCLUDE IN MOC IMAGE QUEUE FOR NADIR IMAGES

If within 5° of End of ROTO Ellipse – unlikely to get images

IF HEMATITE REMAINS A FAVORITE

No Backup Within 37° (i.e., No Closer than Valles Marineris)

Presentation Includes Images of all Landing Sites

Being Considered at Workshop

Sent In Separate Files