Space faring equipment

Opportunity was launched in 2003, Spirit the same, and curiousity is scheduled to land this year.

It would appear that Curiosity has color cameras installed. Why would they not include color cameras for the first two rovers?

Weight? Tech restriction? It seems to me to be counter scientific NOT to include a color camera.

reply to post by scratchmane

The Curiosity rover will be more than five times as massive, and carry more than ten times the mass of scientific instruments as the rovers Spirit or Opportunity.

MastCam: This system will provide multiple spectra and true color imaging with two cameras.[43] The cameras can take true color images at 1600x1200 pixels and up to 10 frames per second hardware-compressed, high-definition video at 720p (1280x720).[43] One camera will be the Medium Angle Camera (MAC) which has a 34 mm focal length, a 15 degree field of view, and can yield 22 cm/pixel scale at 1 km.[43] The other camera will be the Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) which has a 100 mm focal length, a 5.1-degree field of view, and can yield 7.4 cm/pixel scale at 1 km.

Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI): This system will consist of a camera mounted to a robotic arm on the rover.[44] It will be used to acquire microscopic images of rock and soil. MAHLI can take true color images at 1600x1200 pixels with a resolution as high as 14.5 micrometers per pixel.

MSL Mars Descent Imager (MARDI): During the descent to the Martian surface, MARDI will take color images at 1600x1200 pixels with a 1.3 millisecond exposure time starting at distances of about 3.7 km to near 5 meters from the ground and will take images at a rate of 5 frames per second for about 2 minutes.[45][49] MARDI has a pixel scale of 1.5 meters at 2 km to 1.5 millimeters at 2 meters and has a 90 degree circular field of view.

ChemCam is a suite of remote sensing instruments, including the first laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system to be used for planetary science and a remote micro-imager (RMI).[51][52] The LIBS instrument can target a rock or soil sample from up to 7 meters away, vaporizing a small amount of it and then collecting a spectrum of the light emitted by the vaporized rock.[51] An infrared laser with 1067 nm wavelength and a 5 nanosecond pulse will focus on a sub-millimeter spot with a power in excess of 10 megawatts, depositing 15mJ of energy.

Hazard Avoidance Cameras (Hazcams) The MSL will use two pairs of black and white navigation cameras located on the front left and right and rear left and right of the rover.[76][77] The Hazard Avoidance Cameras (also called Hazcams) are used for autonomous hazard avoidance during rover drives and for safe positioning of the robotic arm on rocks and soils.

Navigation Cameras (Navcams) The MSL will use a pair of black and white navigation cameras mounted on the mast to support ground navigation.[77][78] The cameras will use visible light to capture stereoscopic 3-D imagery.[78] The cameras have a 45 degree field of view.[

Source: wiki link

Looks like they have enough cams to my untrained eye.

reply to post by scratchmane


the " pancam " panorama-camera was colour on both rovers

reply to post by scratchmane


In all actuality, a normal 'color' camera does not provide the same scientific data that a camera with multiple filters for different spectra does. Typically the color images we see from these are from images on different filters combined.

the next question is... can we expect the solar panels to be cleaned by the martians like the first 2? they must have their own little car wash up there.

Originally posted by Dashdragon
reply to post by scratchmane

 

In all actuality, a normal 'color' camera does not provide the same scientific data that a camera with multiple filters for different spectra does. Typically the color images we see from these are from images on different filters combined.

I see, sounds plausible. If they have color cameras up there now, why not se them? Or have we seen the martian atmosphere in normal color camera shots?

reply to post by scratchmane

I see, sounds plausible. If they have color cameras up there now, why not se them? Or have we seen the martian atmosphere in normal color camera shots?

Digital cameras do not "see" like the human eye. They have Charge Coupled Devices, CCD's that register light of all wavelengths. In order to create the effect of "color," that is, what the human eye registers with its specialized color sensitive cells, it is necessary to pass the light through a series of red, green and blue filters. This establishes the amount of light at each wavelength. It is then reconstructed into a "color" image. There are different ways of filtering the light for the CCD. The type used in most conventional digital cameras sacrifices resolution for simplicity. The system used on spacecraft have higher resolution, plus the flexibility that a range of filters for light beyond the human spectrum, such as ultraviolet and infrared, provides for scientific purpose.

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by scratchmane


I'm not 100% sure on this, but I don't think they use "color" cameras, they use certain cameras that see different types of light that humans can't see until they work their magic.

Originally posted by PrecogPsychicSensitive
the next question is... can we expect the solar panels to be cleaned by the martians like the first 2? they must have their own little car wash up there.

Curiosity is powered by nuclear RTG, not by solar panels.