Infrared Imaging System for Orbital Reconnaissance of Martian Landing Sites

Details Infrared Imaging System for Orbital Reconnaissance of Martian Landing Sites Infrared Imaging System for Orbital Reconnaissance of Martian Landing Sites

Jul 2000

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000came.work...69c&link_type=abstract

Concepts and Approaches for Mars Exploration, p. 69

Computer Science

Performance

Mars Surface, Emission Spectra, Emissivity, Infrared Imagery, Surface Properties, Thermal Emission, Infrared Detectors, Landing Sites, Thematic Mappers (Landsat), Mars Global Surveyor, Trmm Satellite

Scientific paper

One of the objectives of a landing site reconnaissance orbiter would be to determine and map the rock distribution and surface properties of extensive areas of the Martian surface for hazard characterization. We propose using an infrared imaging system to: (1) map the thermal inertia of the surface at high spatial resolution; and (2) determine surface rock abundance using multi-wavelength measurements. The rock abundance would be determined using a model of thermal emission from a surface composed of rocks and soil at different temperatures. These models use the predicted temperature difference between rocks and fines to model and match the observed non-blackbody spectral properties. Spectral data from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the 2001 Surveyor Orbiter Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) instruments will be used to determine the surface emissivity and refine the rock abundance modeling. The thermal inertia would be derived using pre-dawn measurements; these data would be used to characterize the average surface properties and map dust distribution, which can not be determined from visible images. The IR sensor concept, first presented in a White Paper, would provide rock and thermal inertia maps at significantly higher spatial resolution (10 m) than either TES (3 km) or THEMIS (100 m), with higher performance and complete equatorial coverage. This instrument would be complementary to the visible sensor on a Large Aperture Reconnaissance Orbiter. The primary contributions from the infrared sensor would be: (1) determination of rock abundance and soil grain size with significantly increased spatial coverage than obtained from the high-resolution visible imager; (2) validation of existing global rock abundance maps derived from thermal IR remote sensing data by direct comparison with simultaneous observation of rocks using the visible system; and (3) determination of the soil grain size. The performance estimates made below are based on our experience with previous instruments, including the Mars Observer TES, the Mars Global Surveyor TES, the '01 Orbiter THEMIS, and the Lander Mini-TES which may be launched in '03 or '05. Data and performance models from the SBRS Landsat Thematic Mapper, TRMM/VIRS, and MODIS visible and infrared imaging systems have also been incorporated.q

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