Last year, our team introduced how to load lunar datasets in Cesium. Now, one year later, Cesium has officially begun supporting the Mars dataset—Cesium Mars. Cesium Mars is a 3D Tileset designed to enable developers and researchers to quickly create visualizations and simulations of Mars. The dataset integrates laser altimeter data (MOLA) from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), high-resolution stereo camera imagery (HRSC) from ESA's Mars Express, and color satellite image rendering, realistically recreating the visual appearance of Mars.
Key Technical Parameters
CRS (Coordinate Reference System): IAU_2015:49901
Coverage Area and Resolution
- Global Imagery: 232 m
- Global Terrain: 200 m
- Jezero Crater: Imagery 6 m, Terrain 20 m
- Gale Crater: Imagery 25 cm, Terrain 1 m
Furthermore, all visualization engines supported by Cesium (CesiumJS, Cesium for Unreal, Unity, Omniverse) now support Cesium Mars.
Data Download
The 232m imagery data and 200m terrain data have been released. For custom deployment, you can download and deploy the data yourself. Data links:
Mars Viking Colorized Global Mosaic 232m:
https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/mars_viking_colorized_global_mosaic_232m
Mars MGS MOLA - MEX HRSC Blended DEM Global 200m
https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/mars_mgs_mola_mex_hrsc_blended_dem_global_200m
Quick Integration
Taking CesiumJS as an example, here is a brief code snippet:
// Set the default ellipsoid to Mars instead of WGS84
Cesium.Ellipsoid.default = Cesium.Ellipsoid.MARS;
const viewer = new Cesium.Viewer("cesiumContainer", {
// This is a global 3D Tiles tileset so disable the
// globe to prevent it from interfering with the data
globe: false,
// 2D and Columbus View are not currently supported
// for global 3D Tiles tilesets
sceneModePicker: false,
// Don't use Earth imagery layers for other celestial bodies
baseLayerPicker: false,
// Geocoder is not supported for locations on Mars
geocoder: false,
});
try {
const tileset = await Cesium.Cesium3DTileset.fromIonAssetId(3644333);
viewer.scene.primitives.add(tileset);
} catch (error) {
console.log(error);
}Execution result:
Official Demo:
https://sandcastle.cesium.com/?src=Mars.html
Summary
Currently, seven satellites from multiple space agencies are operational, and NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers continue to transmit data back via the Mars relay network. However, the industry has long faced challenges with data fragmentation, inconsistent formats, and complex processing. The emergence of Cesium Mars constructs a unified, open, high-precision, and real-time interactive digital base for Mars. It is believed that subsequent Mars mission simulations, public outreach, and even game development will benefit from this foundation, leading to more imaginative applications.
Finally, we are reminded of the Zhurong rover. It was launched as part of the Tianwen-1 probe by the Long March 5 Y4 carrier rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan on July 23, 2020, at 12:41 UTC. It entered Mars orbit on February 10, 2021, and landed in the southern Utopia Planitia pre-selected landing zone on May 15, 2021, at 07:18 UTC.
Unfortunately, since entering dormancy on May 18, 2022, there has been no news of its reawakening. Nevertheless, it has already exceeded its designed operational lifespan. We hope that in the future, we can develop Mars rovers capable of operating for several years!