Mapping Mars in Silicon Valley

Chapter 2, like chapter 1, probes the Martian imagination but this time following the work of a research group at NASA that is responsible for producing the highest resolution maps of Mars for both scientific and public consumption. As no map is a neutral representation, following the work of this group for six months showed how an ethos of open source and democratization of data shapes the map and thus the map users interaction with and understanding of Mars. This chapter also explains how 3-D planetary maps have a history dating back to the first NASA probes sent to Mars and are still used today to invite a sense of immersion.