The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) for the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter

Thomas, Nicolas; Cremonese, G.; Ziethe, R.; Gerber, Michael; Brändli, Mathias; Bruno, Giordano; Erismann, Marc; Gambicorti, L.; Gerber, T.; Ghose, Kaustav; Gruber, Mario; Gubler, Pascal Elias; Mischler, Harald; Jost, J. M.; Piazza, Daniele; Pommerol, Antoine; Rieder, Martin; Roloff, Victoria Ann; Servonet, Anthony; Trottmann, Werner; Uthaicharoenpong, T.; Zimmermann, Claudio; Vernani, Dervis; Johnson, Micah; Pelò, E.; Weigel, Thomas; Viertl, Jacques; Roux, Nicolas; Lochmatter, P.; Sutter, G.; Casciello, A.; Hausner, T.; Veltroni, I. Ficai; Deppo, Vania Da; Orleański, P.; Nowosielski, W.; Zawistowski, Tomasz; Szalai, Sándor; Sodor, B.; Tulyakov, Stepan; Troznai, G.; Banaskiewicz, M.; Bridges, J. C.; Byrne, Shane; Debei, S.; El‐Maarry, M. R.; Hauber, Ernst; Hansen, C. J.; Иванов, А. Е.; Keszthelyi, L.; Kirk, Randolph L.; Kuzmin, R. O.; Mangold, N.; Marinangeli, L.; Markiewicz, W. J.; Massironi, Matteo; McEwen, A. S.; Okubo, C. H.; Tornabene, L. L.; Wajer, P.; Wray, J. J.

doi:10.1007/s11214-017-0421-1

Cited by 128 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…A future goal would therefore be to assemble a Mars crater database comparable to that of Hynek (2012, 2013) using DEMs as the input data. In addition, a new source of DEMs from the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CASSIS) instrument on the Trace Gas Orbiter (Thomas et al 2016), now in orbit around Mars, may soon provide many new DEMs for craters < $10 km in diameter at 4.6 m per pixel resolution (generating DEMs at a scale of $ 18 m) from a nominal 400 km circular orbit. 5.…”

Section: Implications Conclusion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of Mars crater geometric data: Insights from high‐resolution digital elevation models

Mouginis-Mark

Boyce

Sharpton

et al. 2017

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

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We review the methods and data sets used to determine morphometric parameters related to the depth (e.g., rim height and cavity depth) and diameter of Martian craters over the past ~45 yr, and discuss the limitations of shadow length measurements, photoclinometry, Earth‐based radar, and laser altimetry. We demonstrate that substantial errors are introduced into crater depth and diameter measurements that are inherent in the use of 128th‐degree gridded Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) topography. We also show that even the use of the raw MOLA Precision Engineering Data Record (PEDR) data can introduce errors in the measurement of craters a few kilometers in diameter. These errors are related to the longitudinal spacing of the MOLA profiles, the along‐track spacing of the individual laser shots, and the MOLA spot size. Stereophotogrammetry provides an intrinsically more accurate method for measuring depth and diameter of craters on Mars when applied to high‐resolution image pairs. Here, we use 20 stereo Context Camera (CTX) image pairs to create digital elevation models (DEMs) for 25 craters in the diameter range 1.5–25.6 km and cover the latitude range of 25° S to 42° N. These DEMs have a spatial scale of ~24 m per pixel. Six additional craters, 1.5–3.1 km in diameter, were studied using publically available DEMs produced from High‐Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) image pairs. Depth/diameter and rim height were determined for each crater, as well as the azimuthal variation of crater rim height in 1‐degree increments. These data indicate that morphologically fresh Martian craters at these diameters are significantly deeper for a given size than previously reported using Viking and MOLA data, most likely due to the improvement in spatial resolution provided by the CTX and HiRISE data.

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Section: Implications Conclusion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determination of Mars crater geometric data: Insights from high‐resolution digital elevation models

Mouginis-Mark

Boyce

Sharpton

et al. 2017

Meteorit & Planetary Scien

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“…Both sound the Martian atmosphere in solar occultation, nadir and limb modes in order to obtain high-resolution vertical profiles of various gases and aerosols, mapping the atmospheric conditions of the whole planet with an unprecedented accuracy and sensitivity compared to previous missions. The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CASSIS) obtains high-resolution colour and stereo images of selected targets on the surface [Thomas, 2018]. Finally the Fine Resolution Epithermal Neutron Detector (FREND) [Mitrofanov, 2018] maps the subsurface hydrogen to a depth of one meter, to reveal any deposits of water-ice hidden just below the surface which, along with locations identified as sources of the trace gases, and stereo colour imaging, could influence the choice of landing sites of future missions.…”

Section: The Exomars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter Missionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First year of coordinated science observations by Mars Express and ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter

Cardesín‐Moinelo

Geiger

Lacombe

et al. 2021

Icarus

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Two spacecraft launched and operated by the European Space Agency are currently performing observations in Mars orbit. For more than 15 years Mars Express has been conducting global surveys of the surface, the atmosphere and the plasma environment of the Red Planet. The Trace Gas Orbiter, the first element of the ExoMars programme, began its science phase in 2018 focusing on investigations of the atmospheric composition with unprecedented sensitivity as well as surface and subsurface studies. The coordination of observation programmes of both spacecraft aims at cross calibration of the instruments and exploitation of new opportunities provided by the presence of two spacecraft whose science operations are performed by two closely collaborating teams at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC).In this paper we describe the first combined observations executed by the Mars Express and Trace Gas Orbiter missions since the start of the TGO operational phase in April 2018 until June 2019. Also included is the science opportunity analysis that has been performed by the Science Operation Centres and instrument teams to identify the observation opportunities until the end of 2020. These results provide a valuable contribution to the scientific community by enabling collaborations within the instrument teams and enhance the scientific outcome of both missions. This information is also valuable to other Mars missions (MAVEN, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Curiosity, …), which may be interested in observing these locations for wider scientific collaboration.In this work we have analysed the simultaneous and quasi-simultaneous opportunities for cross-calibrations and combined observations by both missions, in particular for the vertical atmospheric profiles with solar occultation and the global atmospheric monitoring with nadir observations. As a result of this work we have identified simultaneous solar occultations that can be combined to compare vertical atmospheric profiles of the same region observed by different instruments within less than 2 minute difference, and many other quasi-simultaneous occultation observations within 15 minutes difference at various latitudes and local times. We have also analysed and identified the simultaneous nadir observations that have been planned regularly at different distances and illumination conditions, and studied the seasonal evolution of the orbital crossing points and the alignment of the ground tracks driven by seasonal orbital variations.Lastly we provide an analysis of future opportunities to improve the global coverage of the atmosphere until the end of 2020. This study includes combined opportunities for nadir, solar occultations and a preliminary study of the coverage for limbs and radio occultations between both spacecraft. The resulting observations strongly increase the robustness of both Mars Express and Trace Gas Orbiter investigations due to cross-calibration of the instruments. They significantly increase spatial and temporal coverage, open new opportunities for scien...

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“…Unlike HRSC and CaSSIS (Thomas et al, 2017), all other instruments acquiring high-resolution orbital imagery on Mars (including HiRISE and CTX) do not have a capability to capture single-pass stereo. Hence, HiRISE and CTX stereo pairs are composed of images acquired at different times and slew angle.…”

Section: Defining Non-repeat Stereo Pairsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Massive stereo-based DTM production for Mars on cloud computers

Tao

Müller

Sidiropoulos

et al. 2018

Planetary and Space Science

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The Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) for the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter

Cited by 128 publications

References 63 publications

Determination of Mars crater geometric data: Insights from high‐resolution digital elevation models

Determination of Mars crater geometric data: Insights from high‐resolution digital elevation models

First year of coordinated science observations by Mars Express and ExoMars 2016 Trace Gas Orbiter

Massive stereo-based DTM production for Mars on cloud computers

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