Science Instruments

Cameras

Mastcam

A camera that takes color images and color video footage of the Martian terrain. The instrument is also used to study the Martian landscape and support the driving and sampling operations of the rover.

Tech Specs

Main Job	To take panoramic color images of the surface and atmospheric features and the terrain ahead of the rover.
Location	Mounted about human-eye height, about 6.5 feet (2.0 meters), with about 10 inches (25 centimeters) between them.
Color Quality	Similar to that of consumer digital cameras; 2 megapixels.
Image Size	~1600 X 1200 pixels
Image Resolution	RESOLUTION: 2.9 inches (7.4 centimeters) per pixel at a distance of about six-tenths of a mile (1 kilometer) and about 0.006 inch (150 microns) per pixel at a distance of 6.6 feet (2 meters) Left Eye (Mastcam-34) 450 microns/pixel at ~6.5-foot (2-meter) distance 22 centimeters/pixel at ~.6 miles (1 kilometer) Right Eye (Mastcam-100) ~150 microns/pixel at ~6.5-foot (2-meter) distance 7.4 centimeters/pixel scale at ~.6 miles (1 kilometer)
Focal Length	In focus from about 6 feet (2.1 meters), the nearest view of the surface, to infinity Left Eye ~34 mm Right Eye ~100 mm
Focal Ratio and Field of View	Left Eye f/8 and 15° to f/8.5 and 39.4°
Stereo Baseline of the Pair	~24.5 cm
Memory	8 Gigabyte memory allows several hours of HD video or 5,500+ raw frames to be stored (e.g., a full-scale mosaic of 360° x 80° imaged in 3 science color filters with at least 20% overlap between images)
HD Video	10 frames per second

Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI)

A camera that provides earthbound scientists with close-up views of the minerals, textures, and structures in Martian rocks and the surface layer of rocky debris and dust.

Tech Specs

Main Job	Microscopic Imaging of minerals, textures and structures in rocks and soil at scales smaller than the diameter of a human hair.
Location	Mounted on the turret at the end of the robotic arm.
Color Quality	Similar to that of consumer digital cameras, with an autofocus ability.
Image Size	Up to 1600 x 1200 pixels
Focal Length	In focus from 18.3 mm at the closest working distance to 21.3 mm at infinity
Focal Ratio and Field of View	From f/9.8 and 34° to f/8.5 and 39.4°
Memory	8 Gigabyte flash memory storage; 128 megabyte synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM)
HD Video	720p
Other	First sends back thumbnails so scientists can select best images to send back to Earth

Mars Descent Imager (MARDI)

A camera that took color video during the rover’s descent toward the surface, providing an “astronaut’s view” of the local environment.

Tech Specs

Main Job	Took pictures during the spacecraft descent through the Martian atmosphere.
Location	Mounted on the fore-port-side of the rover, pointing toward the ground.
Memory	8 Gigabyte flash memory storage allows over 4,000 raw frames
HD Video	Four color frames per second; close to 1,600 X 1,200 pixels per frame

Spectrometers

Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS)

A spectrometer that measures the abundance of chemical elements in rocks and soils.

Tech Specs

Main Job	Analyze chemical elements in Martian rock and “soil” (regolith).
Location	On the turret at the end of Curiosity’s robotic arm.
Size	About the size of a cupcake.
Size of Sampled Area	Possibility of 13.9 microns/pixel
Focal Length	About 1.7 cm in diameter when the instrument is in contact with the sample.
Upgrades	Can operate day or night and takes about one-third of the time to process readings.

Chemistry & Camera (ChemCam)

An instrument that first uses a laser to vaporize materials then later analyzes their elemental composition using an on-board spectrograph.

Tech Specs

Main Job	To analyze the chemical composition of rocks and soil.
Location	The laser, telescope, and camera sit on Curiosity’s mast (its “forehead”), while the spectrometer is located in its “body”.
Components	Telescope: Focuses laser and camera Remote Micro-Imager: One of Curiosity’s “eyes,” captures detailed images of the area illuminated by the laser beam Laser: Vaporizes rock surfaces, creating a plasma of their component gases Spectrometer: Three spectrographs divide the plasma light into wavelengths for chemical analysis

Chemistry & Mineralogy X-Ray Diffraction (CheMin)

An instrument that identifies and measures the abundances of various minerals on Mars.

Tech Specs

Main Job	To analyze the chemical composition of rocks and soil.
Location	Inside the Curiosity rover’s body.
Size	About the size of a laptop computer inside a carrying case.
Spectrometer Type	An X-ray diffraction and fluorescence instrument.
Measurement	Takes up to 10 hours of analysis time, spread out over two or more Martian nights, although some samples may provide acceptable results in a single sol (Martian day).

Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) Instrument Suite

A suite of instruments that searches for compounds of the element carbon that are associated with life and explores ways in which they are generated and destroyed in the Martian ecosphere.

Tech Specs

Main Job	Identify a wide range of organic (carbon-containing) compounds.
Location	Inside the rover body, on the front end of the rover.
Size	A box about the size of a microwave oven.
Weight	About 40 kilograms.
Components	Gas Chromatograph: Separates gases to aid in identifying them Mass Spectrometer: Detecting key elements necessary for life (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, oxygen and carbon) Tunable Laser Spectrometer: Detecting water vapor and understanding the history of Mars atmosphere or determining whether methane, if found, is produced by life or geologic processes Sample Manipulation System: Wheel of 74 small cups for samples (9 cups contain calibration samples; 9 filled with chemical solvents for lower-temperature wet chemistry experiments, and 59 quartz cups that are small ovens for heating the powdered samples to extract gases) Sensitivity: Detects less than one part-per-billion of an organic compound Ovens: Heat most rock samples to about 1,000 degrees Celsius (about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit) to extract gases for analysis

Radiation Detectors

Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD)

An instrument that measures and identifies all high-energy radiation on the Martian surface, such as protons, energetic ions of various elements, neutrons, and gamma rays.

Tech Specs

Main Job	Monitored the space radiation in space on the way to Mars and then on the surface as the rover roves. This information helps shape future human missions to Mars by letting us know how much shielding from radiation future Mars astronauts will need to protect them.
Location	Rover Deck, pointed toward the sky.
Size	Similar to a small toaster or six-pack of soda.

Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons (DAN)

A pulsing neutron generator that is used to detect water content as low as one-tenth of 1 percent and resolve layers of water and ice beneath the surface.

Tech Specs

Main Job	Search for signs of water by measuring the hydrogen in the ground below. Detections of hydrogen may indicate the presence of water bound in minerals.
Location	On the aft-port-side of the rover “body.”
Capability	Measures subsurface hydrogen up to one meter (three feet) below the surface.
Sensitivity	Can detect water content as low as 1/10th of 1 percent.

Environmental Sensors

Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS)

An instrument that measures and provides daily and seasonal reports on Martian weather.

Tech Specs

Main Job	Weather station to measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, winds, plus ultraviolet radiation levels.
Location	Two “bolt-like” booms on the rover’s mast (“neck”) that measure wind, ground temperature and humidity UV sensor on the rover deck (“back”) about 1.5 meters above ground level pressure sensor inside the rover body and connected to the external atmosphere via a tube that exits the rover body through a small opening with protection against dust deposition.
Capability	Designed to survive a -130 °C to +70 °C temperature range and minimize power consumption for operation.
Measurements	Autonomously record at least 5 minutes of data at 1 Hz each hour, every sol (Martian day), for all sensors (i.e., total baseline of two hours per sol); maximum of three hours of operation per sol allows a continuous block of monitoring time if desired.

Atmospheric Sensors

Mars Science Laboratory Entry Descent and Landing Instrument (MEDLI)

An instrument that collected engineering data during the spacecraft’s high-speed, extremely hot entry into the Martian atmosphere.

Tech Specs

Main Job	To collect engineering data during the spacecraft’s high-speed, extremely hot entry into the Martian atmosphere.
Location	Spacecraft heatshield
Mass	12.5 kilograms for the instrument suite.
Power	30 Watts during entry, descent and landing (EDL); no power during launch and cruise phases.
Size	Seven pressure ports and seven integrated sensor plugs throughout the headshield, as well as supporting electronics and wiring: MEDLI Integrated Sensor Plug (MISP) Each plug is 1.3 inches (33 millimeters) in diameter and 0.8 inch (20.3 millimeters) deep. Mars Entry Atmospheric Data System (MEADS) Port diameter is 0.1 inch (2.54 millimeters) in diameter; tube, transducer, and fittings require a volume of 3.0 by 3.4 by 7.2 inches (76 x 86 x 183 millimeters) in the interior of the heatshield. Sensor Support Electronics (SSE) Two electronic boards housed in a 3.0 by 9.75 by 13.25-inch (76.2 by 247.7 by 336.6 millimeter) aluminum chassis.
Data Return	0.9 MB (megabytes) of raw data.