Mars Science Lab Cameras Options

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

Has anyone any idea what kind of imaging system is being proposed for the MSL? Would it be the same or simiilar to the MER's, or as improved as the MER pancams are to those that were used on Pathfinder?

With a nuclear power source for the rover, and hopefully the mars telecoms orbiter in place the data rate and data volume could be phenomenal

[dvandorn]

The MER Navcam lenses (esp. Oppy's) have dust accumulations ranging from light to very heavy -- Oppy's are quite occluded on the right sides of the images. However, this isn't a result of general dust accumulation, it happened almost entirely during the global dust storm (which also deposited dust onto the "protected" optics of the mini-TES instruments on both MERs, enough that it might possibly render the devices useless).

I think there's a difference between designing optics to remain "as clean as possible" during normal accumulation cycles and designing dust-storm-proof optics. I'm positive that MSL's cameras are good for the former, but doubt they're designed to handle the latter.

-the other Doug

[Doc]

I think there's a difference between designing optics to remain "as clean as possible" during normal accumulation cycles and designing dust-storm-proof optics. I'm positive that MSL's cameras are good for the former, but doubt they're designed to handle the latter.

-the other Doug

Quite right. Aren't they concerned enough to make a mechanism for removing dust from the lenses?
If I recall well, the Beagle 2 lander had a 'wiper' for each eye of its stereo imaging payload. Why on earth won't anyone consider such a thing?

[mcaplinger]

Why on earth won't anyone consider such a thing?

Because the cameras aren't on Earth. Designing a mechanism that can survive for many years under martian conditions and not fail in some way that degrades imaging is not worth it, given the low chance of dust contamination as I have already described.

The cameras are normally stowed pointing down. Was there some period on MER when they were left pointing up?