Science Targets in the Analyst’s Notebook: Addition of MER Contact Science Targets and New Functions for MSL and MER

Abstract:

The PDS Geosciences Node Analyst’s Notebooks (AN) (https://an.rsl.wustl.edu) for Mars Exploration Rover (MER) and Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) missions provide integrated access to peer-reviewed, publicly available mission data, supported by documentation that describes data format, content, and calibration as well as insight into how, why, when, and where particular observations were made.

During MSL and MER surface operations, the respective science teams defined and made observations of numerous targets of interest. The recently archived MER contact science target database has been integrated into the AN and new functions have been added for finding and working with MER and MSL targets.

An overview of targets is available in the AN mission summaries and for each target includes the name, an image thumbnail, and sol on which it was defined. The MER AN also shows the target type and instruments for which data were acquired. Targets have been added to the AN sol summaries and include data, documents, and plans for each sol.

The MSL and MER missions did not employ round-trip data tracking. As a result, links between targets and observational data products were not captured in archived data with the exception of MSL APXS oxide abundance and ChemCam mosaic archive products. Activity lists from MER instrument teams are used in the AN to match targets to sols of data acquisition, and for APXS, to specific data products.

The AN search tool locates targets through filtering on name, sol, and links to data products. Other filters include target type (MER) and literature references (MSL) taken from the Mars Target Encyclopedia.

Target detail views show locator images for visual context and any known links to data products. Additional images of the target are also listed.

The AN image viewer tool shows targets when present, categorized by how accurately their position on the image is known. For images acquired at the same rover site and drive position as a target’s locator image, the target's position is denoted as “known”. When the drive position is different, the target's position is listed as “approximate” due to undocumented slip and skid during rover movement. Target visibility may be set for individual targets and their labels.