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Zeitler & Oberst 1999
Zeitler, W. and Oberst, J. (1999). The Mars Pathfinder landing site and the Viking control point network. Journal of Geophysical Research 104: doi: 10.1029/98JE01430. issn: 0148-0227.

We recomputed the Viking Mars control point network and derived Mars-fixed three-dimensional coordinates of 3739 selected, globally distributed landmarks. Mars Pathfinder and Viking Lander 1 coordinates as well as data from reanalyzed spacecraft occultation measurements are used as fixed control information in the analysis. The network benefits greatly from recently restored Viking orbiter trajectory data and new planet rotational parameters derived from Pathfinder lander tracking. In our attempt to predict the coordinates of the Viking Lander 1 site from given Pathfinder coordinates, we find an offset of ≈4--5 km of this lander location with respect to the previously reported data. We suggest that this probably is explained by erroneous identification of this landing site in the images. Ninety percent of our landmark coordinates have positional errors of less than 1800 m. This network thus removes previously noted severe offsets between Mars-fixed coordinates and cartographic products. ¿ 1999 American Geophysical Union

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Abstract

Keywords
Planetology, Solar System Objects, Mars, Geodesy and Gravity, Control surveys, Geodesy and Gravity, Photogrammetry, Geodesy and Gravity, Reference systems
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
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Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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