Planetary Surface

Planetary surface research focuses on understanding the composition, morphology, and processes shaping celestial bodies' surfaces, primarily to advance our knowledge of planetary formation and evolution. Current research emphasizes autonomous robotic exploration, leveraging machine learning (e.g., neural networks, Gaussian mixture models) for tasks like terrain mapping, hazard detection (e.g., boulder characterization), and compositional analysis from remote sensing data (e.g., hyperspectral imaging). These advancements are crucial for optimizing future missions, improving data analysis efficiency, and enabling more comprehensive scientific investigations of planetary surfaces. The development of distributed sensor networks and improved 3D reconstruction techniques further enhances our ability to study these environments.