Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mast Camera (Mastcam)
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mast Camera (Mastcam) system obtains color, multispectral color, stereo, and high-definition video views of the terrain explored by the Curiosity rover. At the left is the Mastcam 34 mm fixed focal length camera head; at the right is the Mastcam 100 mm fixed focal length camera head. In 2010, MSSS also developed a pair of Mastcams with zoom lens capabilities, but NASA halted work on these cameras in March 2011. The work done on the zoom lens design for MSL was put to use in the development of the Mastcam-Z camera system for the Perseverance rover.
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Launch: 26 November 2011 |
Landing: 5 August 2012 |
Camera Status: Fully Operational, Aboard Curiosity Rover on the Surface of Mars |
Mastcam has the capability to capture stunning mosaics of the Martian landscape. This mosaic combines 16 left-eye wide-angle lens images of Vera Rubin Ridge.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
This 360-degree mosaic of the Naukluft Plateau area on lower Mount Sharp shows finely layered sandstones, and the shadow of the rover.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
This 360-degree stereo mosaic of the “Glen Torridon” region was imaged in November of 2019 over the Thanksgiving holiday. Composed of over a thousand individual images, the panorama contains 1.8 billion pixels.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Like the MAHLI instrument, Mastcam often images the tailings and corresponding holes created by drill activities. This image shows the drill target “Duluth” which was the first successful drill campaign after a mechanical issue took the drill offline for nearly two years.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Mastcam is also used to check hardware on the Curiosity Rover. This image shows the drill and inlet cover.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Close up mosaics of the “workspace” (the area in front of the rover that can be reached by the arm) and nearby areas are another valuable science product that Mastcam acquires. This image shows knobby textured sandstone on Mount Sharp.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
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