 |
|
|
updated: 31 August 2005
Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) was established in 1990 to design, develop, and operate instruments to fly on unmanned spacecraft. Its initial focus was on the development and operation of the Mars Observer Camera Ground Data System. After the loss of Mars Observer in August 1993, MSSS participated in studies aimed at recovering from the spacecraft loss, and was selected to provide the spare Mars Observer Camera for the re-flight mission, Mars Global Surveyor. At the same time, MSSS was developing a very small, modular camera system for future flight missions. That work culminated with the selection of MSSS to provide cameras for both the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter and Lander. Prior to the dual loss of Mars Climate Orbiter (and the Mars Color Imager, MARCI) and the Mars Polar Lander (and the Mars Descent Imager, MARDI), MSSS was selected by Arizona State University to provide the Visible Imaging Subsystem of the THEMIS instrument aboard the Mars Odyssey 2001 orbiter, and by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to provide a descent camera for the Mars Surveyor 2001 lander (subsequently canceled after the MPL failure). The THEMIS instrument, operaed by ASU, has been in Mars Orbit for over two years. The 2001 descent camera will fly on the Phoenix Mars Scout Mission in 2005. MSSS developed the Mars Color Imager (MARCI'05) and Context (CTX) camera for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter 2005, which is presently en route to Mars. In 2004, MSSS was selected to provide three camera systems (Descent, HandLens, and Mast) for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL-2009) mission, and three cameras for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (2008) mission, under contract to Northwestern University (Mark Robinson, Principal Investigator).
MSSS's Projects include:
Mars Global Surveyor Orbiter Camera
This effort, under contract to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, continues to support operation of the camera during the Mars Global Surveyor mission, presently completing its 6th full year of science operations. Recently, MSSS participated in preparing a proposal to continue MGS operations through the end of 2006, with options to conduct simultaneous observations with MRO when it begins operations in late 2006. Included in this contract are observation planning, development of the commands to send to the spacecraft for the camera, retrieving and processing the data returned from the camera by the spacecraft, and analyzing and archiving the data. More than 150,000 images have been taken, processed, and archived since September 1997.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mars Color Imager (MARCI) and Context (CTX) camera
These investigation, again under contract to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, supported development of the MARCI and CTX for launch aboard the 2005 orbiter, and now supports mission operations. Changes to the MARCI based on lessons learned from the 1998 instrument and dictated by the different orbit and mission parameters include incorporation of a 180° field of view, new UV and visible filters, and an interface adaptor to match the new spacecraft's data bus. CTX is a new camera designed to take mono- and stereoscopic, grayscale images at nearly MOC resolution (6 m/pixel from 300 km altitude) over a much larger field-of-view (30 km).
Phoenix Scout Mars Lander Mars Descent Imager (MARDI)
Under contract to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this effort will prepare the 2001 descent imaging system for flight on the Phoenix spacecraft.
Mars Global
Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer Co-Investigator
This contract, with Arizona State University, supports Dr. Malin's participation as a Co-Investigator on Phil Christensen's MGS Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) experiment.
Mars Exploration
Rover Team Science Team Member
Under contract to Cornell University, Dr. Malin participates
as a member of the Mars Exploration
Rover (Athena) science team.
Mars Science Laboratory
imaging systems
This effort, under contract to JPL, supports Dr. Malin as Principal Investigator of the MastCam and Descent Camera (MARDI-2009), Dr. Kenneth Edgett as Principal Investigator of the Mars Handlens Imager (MAHLI), and the development of these camera systems around a common electronics design (with different optics).
Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter Camera (LROC)
This contract, with Northwestern University, supports the development of LROC for Principal Investigator Mark Robinson. LROC consists of two copies of the MRO CTX camera, with different lenses and a single copy of the MRO MARCI for color and UV imaging of the Moon.
Mars Science Laboratory imaging
systems
This contract with JPL (managing NASA's Mars Advance Technology Program) supports Principal Investigator Michael Ravine at MSSS and a subcontract to Co-Investigator David Miller at University of Oklahoma for modification of MSSS's Solar Rover 2 vehicle. This investigation will conduct a suite of field tests over Mars-like terrain with traverse distance in excess of 10 km (6.2 mi).