[ad_1]
The next NASA robot rover is approaching its launch next summer with the installation of a pair of high definition cameras.
The March 2020 rover should be launched in July 2020. The mission will land on the red planet Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021, he will begin to look for signs of habitable environments and evidence of past microbial life.
On May 23, engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, reinstalled the rover's remote-sensing mask cover, which features important optics and instruments. This paved the way for the installation of two Mastcam-Z high-definition cameras, which will be placed on the rover's deck this week, according to a NASA press release.
Related: March 2020: the next rover of the red planet
Both Mastcam-Z cameras are designed to enhance the center's driving and sampling capabilities. The instrument will provide a detailed overview of the rocks and sediments in the rover's field of view, providing a more complete picture of the geological history of the planet, according to the statement.
"Mastcam-Z will be the first Mars color camera capable of zooming, enabling 3D images at unprecedented resolution," said Jim Bell, principal investigator of Mastcam-Z at Arizona State University. says in the statement. "With a resolution of three hundredths of an inch [0.8 millimeters] in front of the rover and less than an inch and a half [38 millimeters] over 330 feet [100 meters] away – Mastcam-Z images will play a key role in selecting the best possible samples to return from the Jezero crater. "
The March 2020 will also be equipped with a Lander vision system, which will make it the first spacecraft able to accurately redirect its touch to the ground during the landing sequence. The rover also has a caching system, which can be used to collect samples of Martian rock and soil that can be returned to Earth during a future mission.
Follow Samantha Mathewson @ Sam_Ashley13. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Source link