Research/ PLANETARY ROBOTICS
Topographic Evolution of Von Kármán Crater Revealed by the Lunar Rover Yutu‐2
Kaichang Di, Meng‐Hua Zhu, Zongyu Yue, Yangting Lin, Wenhui Wan, Zhaoqin Liu, Sheng Gou, Bin Liu, Man Peng, Yexin Wang, Shengli Niu, Jinhai Zhang, Jian Li, Jianfeng Xie, Luhua Xi, Jianfeng Yang, Bin Xue
Surface Mobility & TerramechanicsOpenAlex topic: Soil Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics
Chang'e & Yutunamed in title, abstract, keywords
OpenAlexPlanetary Science and Exploration · Astro and Planetary Science · Soil Mechanics and Vehicle Dynamics
Abstract Chang'e‐4 (CE‐4) achieved the first farside landing in Von Kármán crater. In the landing site, linear features have been identified previously from SLDEM and considered to be ejecta from the neighboring Finsen crater. The 5 cm grid spacing digital elevation model of the landing site, generated from the rover's panoramic images, provides more details of the rugged terrain. We further interpret the superimposition of NE‐SW ejecta from Finsen crater on the underlying SE‐NW dome‐like surface relief from Alder crater. The landing site is ~70 m higher than the mare basalts within Von Kármán crater. Numerical simulations predict ~30 and ~35 m ejecta deposited at the landing site from Finsen and Alder craters, respectively. The good agreement between the digital elevation model data and ejecta predicted thickness reveals the topographic evolution of Von Kármán crater, indicating that the rover‐measured material is excavated from Finsen crater with possible contributions from Alder crater.