New Scientist – August 17, 2019

17 August 2019 | New Scientist | 29

Is that clear?

Photograph NASA/JPL-Caltech

HUMANS aren’t the only ones who

need eye exams – cameras do too.

Here, a camera on the Mars 2020

rover is being put through its

paces at NASA’s Jet Propulsion

Laboratory in California. Without

good vision, the rover won’t be

able to answer key questions

about Martian geology and

history, particularly whether

life existed there in the past.

The Mars 2020 team uses

boards covered in dots (see below)

to ensure the cameras meet the

required accuracy and resolution

standards. The boards are placed

at several distances ranging from

1 to 40 metres from the rover to

see how clearly the dots emerge.

This process helps calibrate

the two navigation cameras that

provide the rover with 3D vision

and the hazard avoidance cameras

placed low on the vehicle to keep

an eye on the terrain. This lets

the rover move autonomously

without crashing into big rocks.

The rover has a host of cameras.

So far all nine on its front and mast

have been tested – the rest are due

for check-ups soon. The rover is

scheduled to launch in July or

August 2020, arriving early 2021. ❚

Leah Crane

Is there life on Mars?
Listen to Javier Martin-Torres talk about the Red Planet
newscientistlive.com/is-mars-habitable