Yutu-2 route map Options

[Phil Stooke]

No new information really, except the total distance driven (120 m) and an azimuth derived from the latest image of the lander against the hills of the SE horizon... but here is a new map showing the approximate location of Yutu-2 during the second night. The background image needs some minor adjustment of scale and position which I will deal with as soon as I can.

Phil

[kenny]

So it has now exceeded the drive distance of Yutu-1?

[SpaceListener]

A recent picture from LRO on Chang'e-4' landing site

http://www.spxdaily.com/images-hg/far-side...619844lr-hg.jpg

Further details: http://www.moondaily.com/reports/IAU_names...f_Moon_999.html

[Phil Stooke]

Yes, Kenny, it has exceeded the first Yutu's distance. And Sojourner's.

Phil

[John Moore]

Phil...to see rover tracks: presuming LRO will lower its in-orbit altitude downwards?

John

[Phil Stooke]

No, don't look for any change in the orbit, they are conserving fuel. But images with higher sun angles will show the tracks very well. They show up in Chang'e 3 images from LRO at a higher altitude. What I really need is a Chinese map of the path, better than the oblique rendering we have seen up to now.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Thanks, John.

Here is an update based on a map seen on the 9ifly forum. That map has some issues but for now it is the best source I have. I'm hoping to see a map at LPSC in a few weeks.

Note that the base image has been adjusted a bit since the last map.

Phil

[elakdawalla]

Just a reminder that the route map threads are strictly for posting route maps; please converse about mission operations in the appropriate thread.

[Phil Stooke]

A very approximate location for our current position. It is based on the distance travelled, 7 m, an assumption that some of that was taken up with maneuvering to get the rock in the instrument field of view, and an interpretation of the wide angle image.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Another iteration of the map. I wanted to get the first 2 lunar days on the close-up map.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

A map update using the new LRO image to get an exact position for the second lunar night (it only needed a very small correction). I also estimate where the third lunar night location is.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Andrew Jones tweeted a map here:

https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1110035767697567746

(plus a nice image of tracks)

which allows me to update our map. Note that the Chinese map does not distinguish between daily end-of-drive locations and mid-drive waypoints, which I try to do in my map. In the later parts of the route there are too many stops for days, so some are waypoints. When I know which are which I can add date labels to stops.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

No real news but I decided to show an estimate for the new location at the end of day 4. We are told the day 4 drive was about 30 m, probably not in a straight line. I have no evidence for the location, this just lets me record the dates and I can update it when I actually know something. A new LRO image would be nice!

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

This is a slightly tentative route map up to day 5, with the day 4 drive estimated from day 4 tracks visible in the new images. When I realized that the early day 3 rocks were visible in the track images I understood the track images better. The positions are still only approximate for the 4th day.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

China isn't exactly making my life easy at the moment, and my maps will not improve much until a Chinese version appears. Most likely that will be in a journal article in the coming months.

However, here is my current version of the map. The 6th night location is an estimate with very little (OK, nothing) to support it. I have plotted the 5th night location a little more securely from the latest images of tracks and a crater to the south. Anyone who spots new information - let me know!

Phil