Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mast Camera (Mastcam) News and Events

• April 2010
  MSSS Press Release about Mastcam 34 and 100 mm Delivery and New Zoom Lens Effort, 6 April 2010 
   
• March 2010
  The Mastcam 34 and 100 mm fixed focal length cameras were delivered to JPL. Meanwhile, NASA decided to have MSSS build up a pair of the original Mastcam design with zoom lenses. Later in the year, NASA will decide which pair of Mastcams will fly to Mars on MSL. 
   
• December 2008
  NASA decided to delay MSL launch to 2011. Landing will occur in 2012. 
   
• November 2007
  A re-design of the Mast Cameras was approved by JPL and NASA to accommodate the descope of the zoom capability. The original Mastcam science objectives will be addressed by (a) including a focus capability and (b) giving each camera a lens with a different focal length—one will have a 100 mm focal length, the other, 34 mm. The 100 mm focal length camera is designed to achieve 7.4 cm per pixel scale at 1 km distance and about 150 microns per pixel at 2 m distance. The 34 mm focal length camera will obtain 450 microns per pixel images at 2 m distance and about 22 cm per pixel at 1 km distance. 
   
• September 2007
  NASA decided to descope the Mastcam zoom capability. 
   
• February 2007
  The Mastcam, MAHLI, MARDI Critical Design Review was held 21–23 February 2007. 
   
• February 2006
  The Mastcam, MAHLI, MARDI Preliminary Design Review was held 2–3 February 2006. 
   
• December 2004
  The Mastcam, MAHLI, and MARDI science investigations were selected for MSL by NASA on 14 December 2004. 
   
• July 2004
  The Mastcam science investigation proposal was submitted to NASA.