A group of Russian scientific organizations, including the M.V. Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the M.V. Keldysh Research Center, has begun creating ultra-precise three-dimensional models of the Moon and Mars. According to the developers, these will be the most detailed digital copies of these celestial bodies available to date. The project is based on advanced domestic technologies using plasma rocket engines, high-precision optical navigation systems, ultra-high-resolution cameras, and 3D modeling algorithms based on supercomputers.
The specialists plan to develop detailed images of the Moon with a resolution of 0.3 meters per pixel and Mars with a resolution of 2.5 meters per pixel. The creation of these maps will use data obtained from Russian spacecraft, which are still under development.
The 3D maps will be applicable in mission planning, will assist in the analysis of the geology and relief of celestial bodies, as well as in infrastructure development projects for future extraterrestrial bases.
Special attention is paid to the compatibility of the models with autonomous navigation systems of spacecraft. This approach opens up prospects for creating "digital twins" of celestial bodies, which can be used to simulate various scenarios.
However, there is a nuance. Sergei Zhukov, head of the Moscow Space Club, believes that at present the proposed plan can only be partially implemented. According to him, it is possible to reach the Moon with small spacecraft equipped with compact tugs or their own engines, but as for Mars, caution should be exercised in forecasts, since Russia does not yet have a module for flights to this planet.
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