NASA engineers have implemented a new Mars Global Localization navigation system, which for the first time allowed the Perseverance rover to independently determine the exact coordinates on the surface of Mars without the help of operators from Earth. Previously, the rover could only roughly estimate its position and stopped regularly, sending panoramic images to mission specialists. They compared them with the orbital maps and transmitted new commands - the process lasted up to a day. Now the calculations are performed simply on board the apparatus in about two minutes with an accuracy of close 25 centimeters.
How it works
Algorithm, developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), compares panoramic images from the rover's navigation cameras with orbital maps of the Martian surface, received by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Calculations are performed on the processor of the Ingenuity helicopter communication station. This chip is much more powerful than the rover's main computers (they are based on the radiation-resistant architecture of the 1990s), therefore, it is able to quickly process large volumes of images.
Before the update, Perseverance used visual odometry—tracking movement using images of the surface. But mistakes gradually accumulated, and after long trips, the rover could be "wrong" in coordinates by tens of meters. Because of this he stopped, considering the area potentially dangerous.
Now the device will be able to:
- travel much longer distances without waiting for contact with the Earth
- plan the route faster
- perform more scientific operations per Martian day
The new navigation was implemented shortly after another update to select waypoints. Together, these technologies significantly reduce the burden on operators and bring future autonomous expeditions to other planets closer.
NASA notes, that Mars Global Localization can be applied not only on Mars, and in future lunar missions, where precise positioning also remains a major challenge.
Source: https://lookintothe.space