Highly Accurate Visual Method of Mars Terrain Classification for Rovers Based on Novel Image Features

It is important for Mars exploration rovers to achieve autonomous and safe mobility over rough terrain. Terrain classification can help rovers to select a safe terrain to traverse and avoid sinking and/or damaging the vehicle. Mars terrains are often classified using visual methods. However, the accuracy of terrain classification has been less than 90% in read operations. A high-accuracy vision-based method for Mars terrain classification is presented in this paper. By analyzing Mars terrain characteristics, novel image features, including multiscale gray gradient-grade features, multiscale edges strength-grade features, multiscale frequency-domain mean amplitude features, multiscale spectrum symmetry features, and multiscale spectrum amplitude-moment features, are proposed that are specifically targeted for terrain classification. Three classifiers, K-nearest neighbor (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forests (RF), are adopted to classify the terrain using the proposed features. The Mars image dataset MSLNet that was collected by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL, Curiosity) rover is used to conduct terrain classification experiments. The resolution of Mars images in the dataset is 256 × 256. Experimental results indicate that the RF classifies Mars terrain at the highest level of accuracy of 94.66%.     

全火星模型中震波传播特征的数值模拟研究

采用基于交错网格的傅里叶伪谱与有限差分混合方法,求解弹性波动方程,根据地球化学分析得到的两个火星理论结构模型,模拟二维全火星模型中P-SV波和SH波的传播过程。根据理论地震图和波场快照,讨论全火星模型中震波的传播过程以及各种震相的产生和演变,分析模型内部火星壳厚度以及火星核幔边界深度对震波传播的影响。结果表明,在低速火星壳内部多重反射波及转换波的相干叠加会形成很强的波列,其特征受火星壳厚度的影响较大,在切向分量上可以更清晰地观测到核幔边界的反射震相。     

Grove Mountains （GRV）99027： A new Martian meteorite

We report the petrography, mineral chemistry and oxygen isotopic composition of GRV 99027, a new Martian meteorite recently collected during the 16th Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition. This meteorite consists of two textural regions. The interstitial region is characterized by the presence of plagioclase and phosphate, and higher FeO contents of olivine and orthopyroxene, in comparison with the poikilitic region. All of the observations are similar to the three known Martian lherzolites. We classify GRV 99027 as the fourth sample of Martian lherzolite.     

Characterisation of martian soil simulants for the ExoMars rover testbed

The European Space Agency (ESA) ExoMars mission involves landing a rover on the surface of Mars on an exobiology mission to extend the search for life. The locomotion capabilities of the ExoMars rover will enable it to use its scientific instruments in a wide variety of locations. Before it is sent to Mars, this locomotion system must be tested and its performance limitations understood. To test the locomotion performance of the ExoMars rover, three martian regolith simulants were selected: a fine dust analogue, a fine Aeolian sand analogue, and a coarse sand analogue. To predict the performance of the ExoMars rover locomotion system in these three regolith simulants, it is necessary to measure some fundamental macroscopic properties of the materials: cohesion, friction angle, and various bearing capacity constants. This paper presents the tests conducted to determine these properties. During these tests, emphasis was placed on preparing the regolith simulants at different levels of density in order to evaluate its impact on the value of the parameters in particular. It was shown that compaction can influence the Bekker coefficients of pressure-sinkage. The shear properties are consistent with the critical state model at normal stresses similar to those of the ExoMars rover in all but one of the simulants, which showed behaviour more consistent with transitional soil behaviour. It is necessary to give due consideration to these variations to ensure a robust test regime is developed when testing the tractive ability of the ExoMars mobility system.     

大气制动期间探测器的气动特性和轨道计算

以NASA火星全球勘测（MGS）号探测器作为大气制动计算模型,应用DSMC方法模拟了探测器在大气制动期间的稀薄气体动力学特性,分析了不同来流密度情况下探测器的流场特性、气动特性的变化情况以及气体动力学系数的变化关系．并提出了气动力-气动热-轨道一体化计算模型,利用DSMC模拟技术以及经典动力学理论对大气制动轨道变化进行了计算和分析．研究结果表明:行星大气密度、探测器俯仰角、偏航角的变化对探测器的气动特性有重要影响,计算结果与文献中的结果表现出很好的一致性;气动力-气动热-轨道一体化计算可以模拟大气制动过程,模拟所得到的大气制动轨迹反映出较好的制动效果．     

Backscattering Mössbauer spectroscopy of Martian dust

We report on the determination of the mineralogy of the atmospherically suspended Martian dust particles using backscattering ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy on dust accumulated onto the magnets onboard the Mars Exploration Rovers. The spectra can be interpreted in terms of minerals of igneous origin, and shows only limited, if any, amounts of secondary minerals that may have formed in the presence of liquid water. These findings suggest that the dust has formed in a dry environment over long time in the history of the planet.