Responsible for creating a scale map of the Martian panorama and plotting the rover's course. Spatial skills in determining the location of objects are critical.vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Aurora

Kris

Kim

Richard

Responsibility: to create a scale map from the panorama and plot the rover's course to the selected rock.

Specialty: mathematics, spatial skills

Limitations: not being able to visit the mission site (where the rover will perform its mission).

(NASA Sojourner Map, American Scientist)

Procedure: Learn the responsibilities of the other teams.
Work with the Camera Team to determine the scale relationship of the camera. Create a scale map of a "sample rock field" constructed by the Camera Team. We used the video tape they gave us. We created a scale map of the mission site as if the site were viewed from above. We included the placement of all objects that would affect the rover's movement or could be the mission objective (which rock to visit).

We made a full-scale model of the "landing site" using our scale map. We enlisted the help of the Navigation and Camera Teams.
We worked with the Navigation Team to plot the rover's expected path during the mission. We plotted rover actual positions during the mission. We worked with the Navigation Team to devise new expected paths as needed.

Hints: We kept it simple. We made our map as large as possible.
We used circular graph paper for our maps then applied what we learned to the Lander Site map.

The above description is a slightly modified version of the Virtual Sojourner Student Activity #1: Driving Blind by Richard Edgerton. On the Live from Earth and Mars Site from K-12 educators, NASA's Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications (IITA) Program and the University of Washington.