Over 114 TB: Terrain models and Mars satellite images online

US mapping agency USGS has put nearly 5,000 digital terrain models (DTM) and more than 155,000 high-resolution satellite images of Mars online so those interested can experience the Red Planet in great detail and in 3D. The USGS says that just being there is better. The data was collected by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has been in orbit around the planet since 2006.

Not only does the publication aim to democratize data access, but it is now also more usable for machine learning, and thus a foundation for the use of artificial intelligence in planetary science.

terabytes of data

As explained by the USGS, they arise terrain models From the MRO context camera. So each one covers an area of ​​30km x 160km and has a resolution of about 6m per pixel. In order to put it all together, a USGS supercomputer was required, which still took several weeks. The data provided in this way is only the tip of the iceberg, and thousands more have yet to be processed and put online.

Also with them High resolution satellite images Problems with the HiRISE camera due to the huge amount of data. Since each individual recording covers an area of ​​6km x 60km and has a resolution of 25cm per pixel, each file is about 1GB in size. In total, there are 114 terabytes of data, so the work is very time consuming. They have now been modified so that they can be easily viewed and analyzed online. This is possible even on a smartphone. But you can also download them.

The data released is now hosted by Amazon. The USGS states that it has been prepared to the highest quality standards and can be used on various analysis platforms. also became parallel search function Open, which aims to make it easier for you to easily find and download the required data. “Now anyone in the world with a smartphone can search, use and enjoy this data,” says Jay Laura, who led the team.

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