April 30, 2001 Memorandum
April 30, 2001
To: MER Project and Landing Site Steering Committee
From: M. Golombek and T. Parker
Re: Updated Center Ellipse Locations
Listed below are the correct center coordinates of the landing site ellipses for all high-priority sites being ROTO imaged and all nadir only landing site ellipses. This list accompanies the individual maps of the high-priority ROTO sites that have already been distributed. Six high-priority areas remain under consideration, which include 12 individual ellipses. Eight nadir only imaging areas remain under consideration (excluding the two sites in Candor Chasma and the site in Ganges Chasma), which include 14 individual ellipses. The maps of these nadir sites are attached in this and an accompanying e-mail The list includes the area, the site number and the ellipse center latitude and longitude in the MDIM-2 coordinate system. We will request removal of the two Candor and Ganges Chasma sites from consideration on safety grounds in a memo in the near future.
HIGH-PRIORITY ROTO SITES
Hematite(original ellipse figure)
- TM20B 1.99S, 6.01W
- TM21B 2.50S, 3.40W
- TM19B 1.20S, 5.30W
- TM10A 2.20S, 6.30W
- TM9A 1.20S, 5.60W
Melas Chasma (original ellipse figure)
- VM53A 9.07S, 76.43W
- B Site 9.07S, 76.43W
Gale(original ellipse figure)
- EP82A 5.81S, 222.23W
Gusev(original ellipse figure)
- EP55A (S) 15.00S, 184.87W
Eos Chasma(original ellipse figure)
- VM41A 13.34S, 41.39W
Isidis(ROTO) Notes
- IP98B 4.64N, 275.88W
- IP85A 4.7N, 274.68W
NADIR ONLY SITES
Hematite (ellipse figure)
- TM22B 3.40S, 7.20 W
- TM23B 3.10S, 3.10W
- TM12A 3.60S, 2.90W
- TM11A 3.40S, 6.90W
Boedickker Crater
- EP64A 15.30S, 197.44W
Un-named Crater
- EP69A 9.20S, 209.60W
Isidis (Nadir) Notes
- IP84A 4.50N, 271.90W
- IP96B 4.48N, 271.60W
Meridiani Crater (ellipse figure)
- TM15A 8.60S, 7.1W
- TM16A 9.36S, 6.75W
Meridiani Highlands (MDIM2, MOLA) Notes
- TM13A 3.00S, 10.00W
- TM24B 2.80S, 10.10W
NE Valles Marineris Outflow (MDIM2, MOLA) Notes
- VM37A 11.10S, 38.05W
Central Valles Marineris (ellipse figure) Notes
- VM44A 13.10S, 62.50W
Ganges Chasma (MDIM2, MOLA)Notes
- VM42A 7.66S, 51.30W
Ellipse size and orientation varies with latitude and was estimated from the graphs below for MER A and B (for the opening of the launch periods).
Ellipse size and orientation for MER A landing sites.
Ellipse size and orientation for MER B landing sites.