NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
An Analysis of Spacecraft Localization from Descent Image Data for Pinpoint Landing on Mars and other Cratered Bodies Data AcquisitionA pinpoint landing capability will be a critical component for many planned NASA missions to Mars and beyond. Implicit in the requirement is the ability to accurately localize the spacecraft with respect to the terrain during descent. In this paper, we present evidence that a vision-based solution using craters as landmarks is both practical and will meet the requirements of next generation missions. Our emphasis in this paper is on the feasibility of such a system in terms of (a) localization accuracy and (b) applicability to Martian terrain. We show that accuracy of well under 100 meters can be expected under suitable conditions. We also present a sensitivity analysis that makes an explicit connection between input data and robustness of our pose estimate. In addition, we present an analysis of the susceptibility of our technique to inherently ambiguous configurations of craters. We show that probability of failure due to such ambiguity is becoming increasingly small.
Document ID
20080024207
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Ansar, Adnan
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Cheng, Yang
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 2005
Publication Information
Publication: Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing
Publisher: American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Volume: 71
Issue: 10
ISSN: 0099-1112
Subject Category
Spacecraft Design, Testing And Performance
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
landforms
spacecraft landing
pose estimate
image analysis

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available