The Mariner 9 Primary Control Net of Mars.

Merton E. Davies

Expert InsightsPublished 1973

A planetwide control net of Mars is being derived photogrammetrically from the television pictures that were returned by Mariner 9. Such a control net is required by cartographers to relate the coordinate systems to landmarks and topography. Although the pictures cover the entire Mars surface, there are gaps in the low-resolution coverage. The vidicon camera, which produced the photos used in the control net computations, is a poor instrument for photogrammetric analysis because the electronic distortions are large and the format is small. The coordinate system incorporates a new direction for the spin axis of Mars, a prime meridian defined by a particular crater (Airy-zero) on the surface, and a particular reference spheroid for areographic coordinates. The computation of the primary control net is a continuing project; as of April 1973, it contained 1,340 control points. (Presented at the 1973 American Society of Photogrammetry and American Congress on Surveying and Mapping Convention.) 19 pp. Ref.

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Davies, Merton E., The Mariner 9 Primary Control Net of Mars. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1973. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P5013.html.
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