MarsExpress Beagle2 lander
MCSE as supplied the micro-cameras for the Beagle2 lander
Mission to Mars from ESA
MarsExpress launch: 2 June 2003
Arrival at Mars: December 2003
Orbiter with several instruments
Lander Beagle2: 65 kg
Stereo Camera System and Microscope head
The micro-cameras deliver 1 million pixels digitized on 10 bits, at a frame rate of 10 Mbits per second.
Micro-cameras for the stereo system:
- Mass of one micro-camera with optics: 98g
- Operating temperature: –120°C to +30°C
- Power consumption: 1.5W
The two micro-cameras of the Stereo Camera System are equipped with filterwheels in order to provide wide-angle multi-spectral stereo imaging of the landing site.
Micro-camera head for the microscope:
- Mass of the micro-camera head: 85g
- Operating temperature: –120°C to +30°C
- Power consumption: 1.5W
Stromatolite with close-up view on the right taken by B2 camera (Courtesy NMBE)
Relevant publications
R. Trautner, N. Manaud, G. Michael, A. Griffiths, S. Beauvivre, D. Koschny, A. Coates and J-L. Josset, Determination of the Beagle2 Landing Site, International Workshop on Planetary Probe Atmospheric Entry and Descent Trajectory Analysis and Science, Lisbon, October 6-9, 2003
N. Thomas, S.F. Hviid, H.U. Keller, W.J. Markiewicz, T. Blümchen, A.T. Basilevsky, P.H. Smith, R. Tanner, C. Oquest, R. Reynolds, J.-L. Josset, S. Beauvivre, B.Hofmann, P. Rüffer, C.T. Pillinger, M.R. Sims, D. Pullan, and S. Whitehead, The Microscope for the Beagle 2 Lander on ESA’s Mars Express, Sixth International Conference on Mars, Pasadena, California, July 20–25, 2003.
J.-L-Josset and S. Beauvivre, High-Performances Micro-Cameras of the Mars Express Lander, EGS-AGU-EUG Joint Assembly, Nice, France, 6-11 April 2003.