Geo-Standardizing 3D Modeling of Surface Objects and Related Logical Spaces on Celestial Bodies: Case Studies for Moon and Mars

Abstract

Establishing frameworks for promoting the realization of various activities on celestial bodies sustainably is of great significance for different contexts, such as preserving the scientific evidence and space heritage. Therefore, this research first proposes a conceptual model that covers the different types of features, attributes, and relationships between them to comprehensively delineate the surface objects and related logical spaces on celestial bodies. It then implements this conceptual model as a CityJSON extension in such a way that allows for creating the three-dimensional (3D) geodatasets that represent these objects and spaces in a standardized manner. Moreover, the usefulness of this study is demonstrated through creating CityJSON datasets that include 3D models of exemplary surface objects from Moon and Mars, such as a historical landing site and related logical spaces, such as exclusion zones for protecting this site. The results of the current study show that there is a strong potential for forming 3D geodatasets on celestial bodies that can provide a notable foundation for the technical implementation of international agreements and legal frameworks. This work also contributes to the design of planetary spatial data infrastructures (PSDI) by incorporating the third dimension.