<title>Design of a robotic arm camera for the Mars Surveyor Program</title>

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Mars Surveyor Spacecraft's Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) is a CCD imager designed to enhance the capability of studyingboth trenched areas and material collected by the spacecraft's Robotic Arm. An active focus mechanism will be used toachieve imaging from a magnification of 1:1 to infinity focus, permitting scenarios ranging from microscopic imaging ofscoop contents with a resolution of 23 microns/pixel to stereo ranging of distant features using a baseline between the RACand another camera on the lander deck. This paper will discuss the optomechanical design of the camera including thestructure, optics, focus mechanism with actuator, windows and moveable optics cover, and integral illumination devicesrequired for imaging the interior of the scoop and trench. Keywords: Optomechanical, camera, instrument, Mars 1. INTRODUCTION The Mars Volatiles and Climate Surveyor (MVACS) instrument package to be flown on the Mars SurveyorSpacecraft scheduled for launch in January, 1999, includes a Robotic Arm for collecting and delivering samples to a thermalanalysis instrument. The Robotic Arm Camera, to be mounted at the wrist, will be capable of imaging the contents of thescoop, the interior of the trench and surrounding areas, and even the horizon. Figure 1. depicts the camera mounted on aprototype arm, and Figure 2 shows the overall dimensions of the camera.