Geospatial technologies for Chang’e-3 and Chang’e-4 lunar rover missions

ABSTRACT This paper presents a brief overview of the geospatial technologies developed and applied in Chang’e-3 and Chang’e-4 lunar rover missions. Photogrammetric mapping techniques were used to produce topographic products of the landing site with meter level resolution using orbital images before landing, and to produce centimeter-resolution topographic products in near real-time after landing. Visual positioning techniques were used to determine the locations of the two landers using descent images and orbital basemaps immediately after landing. During surface operations, visual-positioning-based rover localization was performed routinely at each waypoint using Navcam images. The topographic analysis and rover localization results directly supported waypoint-to-waypoint path planning, science target selection and scientific investigations. A GIS-based digital cartography system was also developed to support rover teleoperation.

[1]  Wei Yan,et al.  A Global Adjustment Method for Photogrammetric Processing of Chang’E-2 Stereo Images , 2019, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[2]  Chunlai Li,et al.  Scientific data and their release of Chang’E-1 and Chang’E-2 , 2014, Chinese Journal of Geochemistry.

[3]  Carol R. Stoker,et al.  Overview of the Mars Pathfinder Mission: Launch through landing, surface operations, data sets, and science results , 1999 .

[4]  Wei Zuo,et al.  Lunar farside to be explored by Chang’e-4 , 2019, Nature Geoscience.

[5]  Z. S. Liu,et al.  TOPOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF CHANG’E-4 LANDING SITE USING ORBITAL, DESCENT AND GROUND DATA , 2019, The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences.

[6]  David E. Smith,et al.  A New Lunar Digital Elevation Model from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter and SELENE Terrain Camera , 2015 .

[7]  Kaichang Di,et al.  Rock size-frequency distribution analysis at the Chang’E-3 landing site , 2016 .

[8]  K. Di,et al.  Topographic Evolution of Von Kármán Crater Revealed by the Lunar Rover Yutu‐2 , 2019, Geophysical Research Letters.

[9]  K. Di,et al.  High-Resolution Large-Area Digital Orthophoto Map Generation Using LROC NAC Images , 2019, Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing.

[10]  Wei Zuo,et al.  Chang’E-4 initial spectroscopic identification of lunar far-side mantle-derived materials , 2019, Nature.

[11]  Jia Liu,et al.  Landing site topographic mapping and rover localization for Chang’e-4 mission , 2020, Science China Information Sciences.

[12]  Guangyou Fang,et al.  A young multilayered terrane of the northern Mare Imbrium revealed by Chang’E-3 mission , 2015, Science.

[13]  Wei Zuo,et al.  Descent trajectory reconstruction and landing site positioning of Chang’E-4 on the lunar farside , 2019, Nature Communications.

[14]  刘斌,et al.  High precision landing site mapping and rover localization for Chang'e-3 mission , 2014 .

[15]  Wei Zuo,et al.  Lunar Global High-precision Terrain Reconstruction Based on Chang'e-2 Stereo Images , 2018 .

[16]  Liu Bi.  Descending and landing trajectory recovery of Chang'e-3 lander using descent images , 2014 .

[17]  Wenhui Wan,et al.  A Cross-Site Visual Localization Method for Yutu Rover , 2014 .

[18]  Bo Wu,et al.  Integration of Chang'E-2 imagery and LRO laser altimeter data with a combined block adjustment for precision lunar topographic modeling , 2014 .

[19]  Bin Liu,et al.  A Self-Calibration Bundle Adjustment Method for Photogrammetric Processing of Chang $^{\prime}$E-2 Stereo Lunar Imagery , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[20]  Jun Yan,et al.  The scientific objectives and payloads of Chang’E−4 mission , 2018, Planetary and Space Science.

[21]  K. Di,et al.  Initial results of rover localization and topographic mapping for the 2003 mars exploration rover mission , 2005 .

[22]  Fred B. Oswald,et al.  Exploration Rover Concepts and Development Challenges , 2005 .

[23]  Long Xiao,et al.  Geological Characteristics of Von Kármán Crater, Northwestern South Pole‐Aitken Basin: Chang'E‐4 Landing Site Region , 2018, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.

[24]  R. Anderson,et al.  Mars Science Laboratory Mission and Science Investigation , 2012 .

[25]  Bin Xu,et al.  Geopositioning precision analysis of multiple image triangulation using LROC NAC lunar images , 2017, Planetary and Space Science.

[26]  Zhiping He,et al.  Lunar deep materials observed by Chang'e-4 rover , 2019 .

[27]  Z. S. Liu,et al.  HIGH RESOLUTION SEAMLESS DOM GENERATION OVER CHANG'E-5 LANDING AREA USING LROC NAC IMAGES , 2018 .

[28]  C. Baccigalupi,et al.  Gravitational wave astronomy: the current status , 2015, Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy.

[29]  A. McEwen,et al.  Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Instrument Overview , 2010 .

[30]  Mark S. Robinson,et al.  New Mosaicked Data Products from the LROC Team , 2015 .