The Panoramic Camera (Pancam) investigation is part of the Athena science payload launched to Mars in 2003 on NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rover (MER) missions. The scientific goals of the Pancam investigation are to assess the high resolution morphology, topography, and geologic context of each MER landing site; to obtain color images to constrain the mineralogic, photometric, and physical properties of surface materials; and to determine dust and aerosol opacity and physical properties from direct imaging of the Sun and sky. Pancam also provides mission support measurements for the rovers, including Sun-finding for rover navigation; hazard identification and digital terrain modeling to help guide long-term rover traverse decisions; high resolution imaging to help guide the selection of in situ sampling targets; and acquisition of education and public outreach products. The Pancam optical, mechanical, and electronics design were optimized to achieve these science and mission support goals. Pancam is a multispectral, stereoscopic, panoramic imaging system consisting of two digital cameras mounted on a mast 1.5 m above the martian surface. The mast allows Pancam to image the full 360 degrees in azimuth and +/-90 degrees in elevation. Each Pancam camera utilizes a 1024 x 1024 pixel active imaging area frame transfer charge-coupled device (CCD) detector array. The Pancam optics have an effective focal length of 43 mm and a focal ratio of f/20, yielding an IFOV of 0.27 mrad/pixel and a FOV of 16 degrees x 16 degrees. Each rover's two Pancam 'eyes' are separated by 30 cm and have a 1 degree toe-in to provide adequate stereo parallax. Each eye also includes a small 8-position filter wheel to allow surface mineralogic studies, multispectral sky imaging, and direct Sun imaging, in the 400-1100 nm wavelength region. Pancam was designed and calibrated to operate within specifications on Mars at temperatures from 218 K to 278 K. An onboard calibration target and fiducial marks provide the capability to validate the radiometric and geometric calibration on Mars.

Bell, J.F. III, The Mars Exploration Rover Athena Panoramic Camera (Pancam)
                   Investigation, Journal of Geophysical Research, June 23, 2003.

extracted metadata from PDS3 catalog and
                    modified to comply with PDS4 Information Model

PANORAMIC CAMERA for MER1

ALPHA PARTICLE X-RAY SPECTROMETER for MER1

DESCENT CAMERA for MER1

HAZARD AVOIDANCE CAMERA for MER1

INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT for MER1

MOESSBAUER SPECTROMETER for MER1

MICROSCOPIC IMAGER for MER1

MINIATURE THERMAL EMISSION SPECTROMETER for MER1

NAVIGATION CAMERA for MER1

ROCK ABRASION TOOL for MER1

RADIO SCIENCE SUBSYSTEM for MER1

ALPHA PARTICLE X-RAY SPECTROMETER for MER2

DESCENT CAMERA for MER2

HAZARD AVOIDANCE CAMERA for MER2

INERTIAL MEASUREMENT UNIT for MER2

MOESSBAUER SPECTROMETER for MER2

MICROSCOPIC IMAGER for MER2

MINIATURE THERMAL EMISSION SPECTROMETER for MER2

NAVIGATION CAMERA for MER2

PANORAMIC CAMERA for MER2

ROCK ABRASION TOOL for MER2

RADIO SCIENCE SUBSYSTEM for MER2

MARS EXPLORATION ROVER

MARS EXPLORATION ROVER 1

MARS EXPLORATION ROVER 2

NAIF ID 499

Mars

MER-Opportunity Panoramic Camera

Description

Identifier (LID)

Version