The ESA's Rosalind Franklin has a new highly-detailed geological map to guide its exploration of its chosen landing site, Oxia Planum.
European scientists have created an extremely detailed geological map of Oxia Planum, the landing site for the ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover. Not only will it help guide the rover's driving, it will help the rover sample the most promising sites. Image Credit: Fawdon et al. 2024.
In order for the Franklin to be successful, it needs to land in a place where its drilling capability can be put to good use. That’s why the ESA chose Oxia Planum. Not only is it flat, which makes for a safer landing, but it contains hydrated minerals. In fact, it’s one of the largest exposed sections of clay-bearing minerals on Mars, and that’s where the fossilized evidence of life it seeks may be found.
The result is a map that shows Oxia Planum’s geology in high detail. It shows types of bedrock and features like ridges and craters. It also shows crater ejecta and windborne dust. The map will not only help the rover navigate through difficult terrain; it’ll inform the choices of where to drill for samples.
“The objectives of this map are to identify where the most astrobiologically relevant rocks are likely to be found, to show where hypotheses about their geological context can be tested, to inform both the long-term and the short-term activity planning for rover exploration, and to allow the samples analyzed by the rover to be interpreted within their regional geological context,” the authors explain.
The map shows mound materials, different types of bedrock, features like Mensas and crater materials of different ages. The making of the map has already provided some benefits to the Rosalind Franklin mission. “The mapping exercise has provided the wider rover team with a sound knowledge of the landing site and has also helped us to develop new geological hypotheses for the region,” the authors write.
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