Design, calibration and operation of Mars lander cameras

Abstract

In the 45 years since the dawn of the space age, there have only been two Mars lander camera designs to successfully operate on the Martian surface. Therefore information on Mars imager design and operation issues is limited. In addition, good examples of Mars lander imager calibration work are almost non-existent. This work presents instrument calibration results for a Mars lander camera originally designed to fly as an instrument onboard the 2001 Mars Surveyor lander as a robotic arm camera (RAC). Test procedures and results are described as well as techniques for improving the accuracy of the calibration data. In addition we describe camera algorithms and operations research results for optimizing imager operations on the Martian surface. Finally, the lessons learned from the 2001 RAC are applied to the preliminary design of a new Mars camera for the Artemis Mars Scout mission. The design utilizes a Bayer color mosaic filter, white light LED's and includes an optical system operating at f/13 with a maximum resolution of 0.11 mrad/pixel. It is capable of imaging in several modes including: stereo, microscopic and panoramic at a mass of 0.3 kg. It will provide planetary geologists with an unprecedented view of the Martian surface.