The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mast Camera Zoom (Mastcam-Z) Multispectral, Stereoscopic Imaging Investigation

J. F. Bell*, J. N. Maki, G. L. Mehall, M. A. Ravine, M. A. Caplinger, Z. J. Bailey, S. Brylow, J. A. Schaffner, K. M. Kinch, M. B. Madsen, A. Winhold, A. G. Hayes, P. Corlies, C. Tate, M. Barrington, E. Cisneros, E. Jensen, K. Paris, K. Crawford, C. RojasL. Mehall, J. Joseph, J. B. Proton, N. Cluff, R. G. Deen, B. Betts, E. Cloutis, A. J. Coates, A. Colaprete, K. S. Edgett, B. L. Ehlmann, S. Fagents, J. P. Grotzinger, C. Hardgrove, K. E. Herkenhoff, B. Horgan, R. Jaumann, J. R. Johnson, M. Lemmon, G. Paar, M. Caballo-Perucha, S. Gupta, C. Traxler, F. Preusker, M. S. Rice, M. S. Robinson, N. Schmitz, R. Sullivan, M. J. Wolff

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewResearchpeer-review

109 Citations (Scopus)
25 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Mastcam-Z is a multispectral, stereoscopic imaging investigation on the Mars 2020 mission’s Perseverance rover. Mastcam-Z consists of a pair of focusable, 4:1 zoomable cameras that provide broadband red/green/blue and narrowband 400-1000 nm color imaging with fields of view from 25.6° × 19.2° (26 mm focal length at 283 μrad/pixel) to 6.2° × 4.6° (110 mm focal length at 67.4 μrad/pixel). The cameras can resolve (≥ 5 pixels) ∼0.7 mm features at 2 m and ∼3.3 cm features at 100 m distance. Mastcam-Z shares significant heritage with the Mastcam instruments on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. Each Mastcam-Z camera consists of zoom, focus, and filter wheel mechanisms and a 1648 × 1214 pixel charge-coupled device detector and electronics. The two Mastcam-Z cameras are mounted with a 24.4 cm stereo baseline and 2.3° total toe-in on a camera plate ∼2 m above the surface on the rover’s Remote Sensing Mast, which provides azimuth and elevation actuation. A separate digital electronics assembly inside the rover provides power, data processing and storage, and the interface to the rover computer. Primary and secondary Mastcam-Z calibration targets mounted on the rover top deck enable tactical reflectance calibration. Mastcam-Z multispectral, stereo, and panoramic images will be used to provide detailed morphology, topography, and geologic context along the rover’s traverse; constrain mineralogic, photometric, and physical properties of surface materials; monitor and characterize atmospheric and astronomical phenomena; and document the rover’s sample extraction and caching locations. Mastcam-Z images will also provide key engineering information to support sample selection and other rover driving and tool/instrument operations decisions.

Original languageEnglish
Article number24
JournalSpace Science Reviews
Volume217
Issue number1
Number of pages40
ISSN0038-6308
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).

Keywords

  • Jezero crater
  • Mars
  • Mars 2020 mission
  • Perseverance rover
  • Space imaging
  • Space instrumentation

Cite this