I want to look ahead to the new year and beyond, regarding Mars mission mapping on UMSF.

My book 'The International Atlas of Mars Exploration', vol. 2, covered events up to June 2014, coinciding with Opportunity sol 3700 and Curiosity sol 669, the end of its primary mission. Ever since then, for the last 7.5 years, I have been mapping activities on Mars for UMSF, but those maps were always intended for a 3rd volume of the series. You have been able to follow, sol by sol, the construction of the maps that will fill the atlas. That work will conclude at the end of this year. Then I begin a period of intense editing work to pull roughly 250 pages of text and 250 full page illustrations into publishable form.

I hope you will understand that I cannot go on making new maps while also editing the book. So many things are happening on the Moon (my other love) and Mars that mapping has been a full time job, but now my efforts must be redirected. I will still be doing some things - I like making circular panoramas and will keep doing that as time permits, but making them for Perseverance is time-consuming and they might not happen with every drive unless I have access to a panorama from someone else. I will try to keep up with Zhurong whenever there is an update, but almost daily updates for Curiosity and Perseverance are no longer possible. I must give up Curiosity altogether, but I will follow Perseverance with less frequent updates. I will be following events on the Moon (Chang'e 4 and future landers) and when the Mars editing work concludes my focus will be mostly on the Moon.

I hope someone else will be able to take on the role of Mars cartographer. We have had other contributors, and as a start someone could simply annotate the mission maps after each drive with names taken from status reports and other sources. I will be checking in every day, I just can't continue mapping as I have in the past. But I will see you on the Moon!

Phil

Thanks for letting us know, Phil, and good luck with finishing your book. There will be collective withdrawal symptoms across the forum, as many of us have grown addicted to your always timely, accurate, and beautiful map updates. I hope someone can pick up the Martian reins, but you're a hard act to follow!

John

Phil, what you've already given us freely is beyond value. I have to say that, while it's accurate to call it cartography, your drive maps and phil-o-vision images, among other postings, feel like something even better; they often feel, to an extent, like exploration – like being there. The experience is as close to John Carter of Mars as anyone has yet known. It's always appreciated.

I will miss those map updates Phil! Good luck with the book.

Same here, I will miss them too. Tesheiner, can you come back like old times?

Thank you all!

Phil

Would love to help but I am busy collecting maps of every body in the Solar System. I love seeing your map updates because it is fascinating seeing the long trips some of these rovers go on. Essentially, you are asking for someone to be your rover panorama mapping apprentice. I will miss the rolling updates from you.

Thank you very much Phil for all your contributions to UMSF. I will certainly miss your maps, which have greatly helped me, but I do understand. It is time consuming.
Best of luck for your book.
Fernando

Phil the white wizard is getting on the ship for Valinor or Victoria or wherever he's retiring to in the West, leaving us all behind in middle earth.

Phil, your care, compilation, curation, and presentation of this scientifically and historically invaluable data is the gold standard, period. You've brilliantly performed a service that very few people could even attempt and given your work freely to us. We have been spoiled, honored, and humbled by your hard work and generosity.

Best of luck with your books, and thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

Phil Stooke,
Thank You for the incredible body of work that you gifted to us, in all its technical and artistic splendor.
I eagerly await all your future Atlases. They occupy a special place in my humble library
Good luck with all your pursuits. You are appreciated by a multitude of people.

as you know ... the Solar System ain't gonna map itself!

Thanks everyone. Not all those who wander are lost! Or are they? Anyhoo, I am not leaving, just cutting back on Mars stuff. But I really appreciate all your kind words.

Phil

recovering enough from unexpected wrist surgery to get back to a keyboard .. have a 20 Sol backlog dust devils to check... see ya soon
(Tau, awesome work on the downhill DD!)