MSL landing sites in ancient layered terrain: Becquerel Crater

1
MSL landing sites in ancient layered terrain
Becquerel Crater
John Bridges1 and Matt Balme2
1Planetary Space Sciences Research Institute,
Open University, UK 2Dept. of Earth Sciences,
Open University, UK and Planetary Science
Institute, Tucson, Az.
2
Assess Past Habitability through Rover Traverse
over Interior Layered Deposits (ILD)

• Traverse over ILD would allow sedimentary log
  over millions years of depositional history
• Best way of achieving MSL aims?
• Impact, lacustrine, fluvial hypotheses assessed
  with extensive outcrop

0.2 km
M1201064 352.25oE, 21.35oN (east side of ILD)
3
Aim Land beside ILD and traverse to their margin
and onto them
ILD
ILD
MOLA shaded terrain map 20 km landing ellipses
for consideration
Bridges
Balme
Becquerel
Bridges
Balme
Becquerel
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Becquerel Crater

• 167 km diameter crater in Arabia Terra 22oN,
  352oE
• Contains 900 km2 exposure of Noachian Interior
  Layered Deposits (ILD)
• -2.6 to -3.8 km elevation
• gt300 TI units (dust conditions not prohibitive),
  rock abundance 4-12
• No substantial current ground-ice detected by
  Gamma-Ray spectrometer so satisfies planetary
  protection constraint

ILD
20 km
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Becquerel Crater

167 km diameter crater in Arabia
Terra 22
o
N, 352
o
E

Contains 900 km
2
exposure of
Noachian Interior Layered
Deposits (ILD)

-
2.6 to
-
3.8 km elevation

gt300 TI units (dust conditions
not prohibitive), rock abundance
4
-
12

No substantial current ground
-
ice
ILD
detected by Gamma
-
Ray
spectrometer so satisfies
planetary protection constraint
MOLA 128 ppd gridded data
Bridges
Balme
Becquerel
Bridges
Balme
Becquerel
6
Becquerel Crater

167 km diameter crater in Arabia
Terra 22
o
N, 352
o
E
2

Contains 900 km
exposure of
Noachian Interior Layered
Deposits (ILD)

-
2.6 to
-
3.8 km elevation

gt300 TI units (dust conditions
not prohibitive), rock abundance
4
-
12
ILD
ILD

No substantial ground
-
ice
detected by Gamma
-
Ray
spectrometer so satisfies
planetary protection constraint
20 km
THEMIS night
7
Are These Deposits Accessible?
8

• Two proposed 20 km landing ellipses to east A
  and west B of ILD
• 351.386E, 21.478N (centre A)
• 352.522E, 21.320N (centre B)

A
B
ILD
THEMIS daylight
20 km
9

• Two proposed 20 km landing ellipses to east A
  and west B of ILD
• 351.386E, 21.478N (centre A)
• 352.522E, 21.320N (centre B)

A
B
ILD
10 km
MOC na mosaic
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Roughness and Aeolian Deposits

• Green is dark dunes/sheets
• Around margins of ILD, dark sand
• is in sheets rather than barchans

ILD
10 km
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Ellipse A Roughness
2.5 km

• THEMIS vis. Yellow is rough area (15 of
  ellipse)

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Ellipse A
ILD
0.2 km

• THEMIS NIGHT IR
• surface temperature 180-200K

• THEMIS V09899025
• Dark barchans

13
Ellipse A
M0701459
E0502646
0.25 km

• Typical terrain relatively rough with aeolian
  deposits

14
Ellipse B
2
1
2.5 km

• THEMIS IR night
• 175 (dark)-200K (light)

• Yellow rough terrain 10

15
Ellipse B
Area 1
Area 2
2.5 km

• Polygonal terrain past ice terrain ? (but
  little or no current ice)
• Less rough than ellipse A

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Elevation
MOLA shaded map

• A and B ellipses -3.6 to -3.8 km,
• ILD -3.1 to -3.7 km

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Slopes and ILD Access

• Most slopes in A and B lt5o
• Slopes between ellipses and
• ILD 2 10o
• Base cliffs and top surface of
• ILD could be accessed by rover

A
B
ILD
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Summary Becquerel can reveal past Martian
Environment

• 352.522E, 21.320N (centre B safer ellipse)
• Slopes, terrain allow landing and access to
  margin and probably onto ILD
• Satisfies planetary protection
• Accessing ILD allows best analysis
• of past martian habitability over millions of
  years

Interior Layered Deposits
e0200375 (21.6oN, 351.6oE). Width 1.5 km, 3m/px
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Summary Becquerel can reveal past Martian
Environment

• 352.522E, 21.320N (centre B safer ellipse)
• Slopes, terrain allow landing and access to
  margin and probably onto ILD
• Satisfies planetary protection
• Accessing ILD allows best analysis
• of past martian habitability over millions of
  years
• Issues some dark aeolian
• deposits and some rough terrain
• in margin of ellipse B

Interior Layered Deposits
e0200375 (21.6oN, 351.6oE). Width 1.5 km, 3m/px