JMARS 5: A Modernized Interface for Planetary Exploration Analysis

JMARS (Java Mission-planning for Analysis and Remote Sensing) is a planetary Geographic Information System that was developed by Arizona State University's Mars Space Flight Facility. JMARS was developed as a mission planning and data analysis tool for NASA orbiters, researchers, students of all ages, and the public. JMARS was released publicly to the science community in 2003. JMARS provides functionality to view 2D and 3D planetary data for Mars, the Moon, Vesta, Ceres, Mercury, Earth, Pluto, Europa, Phobos, Deimos, and many of the outer planet moons and asteroids. Supported datasets include thousands of global maps and millions of individual images collected from various NASA instruments including THEMIS, HiRISE, CTX, CRISM, and SHRAD. JMARS offers quick access to thousands of maps and millions of individual images collected from planetary missions. These images can be easily located by geographic area or filtered based on any number of scientific parameters, then viewed without excessively large downloads or extensive knowledge of planetary data formats.

To meet modern software interface expectations, our recent development efforts focused on updating and modernizing JMARS graphical user interface (GUI) to provide users with an enhanced, yet intuitive experience. JMARS version 5 was released to the public and includes a new modernized look and feel and important improvements to various GUI functions, while preserving all the core capabilities available in previous versions.

Some of the many improvements consist of updates to the crater layer which includes the ability to create multiple radial profiles. A new and improved search engine to allow users to find maps easily. An enhanced layer manager interface helps the user experience easier and more efficient. Numerous updates to the custom map tool allow users to load and view their maps in JMARS with ease. There have also been multiple updates to the GUI for users to customize the look and feel of the application.