Visual Monitoring Camera: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:15, 31 August 2018

Revision as of 22:24, 31 August 2018

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The '''Visual Monitoring Camera''' ('''VMC'''),<ref name="faq">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.esa.int/vmc/faq/ |title=Mars Webcam: FAQ |website=blogs.esa.int |publisher=[[European Space Agency]]}}</ref> also known as the '''Video Monitoring Camera'''<ref name="bulletin109">{{cite journal |url=http://www.esa.int/esapub/bulletin/bullet109/chapter9_bul109.pdf |title=Studies on the Re-use of the Mars Express Platform |journal=ESA Bulletin |first1=A. |last1=Gimenez |first2=J-P. |last2=Lebreton |first3=H. |last3=Svedhem |first4=J. |last4=Tauber |issue=109 |date=February 2002}}</ref> and '''Mars Webcam''', is a small camera mounted on ''[[Mars Express]]'' spacecraft. It is operated by the Mars Express Flight Control Team at [[ESOC]] in [[Darmstadt]], Germany.

Starting in 2007, the VMC was used for the Mars Webcam project (sometimes called this after this time) where it takes global views of Mars at a high cadence and they are posted online.<ref name="ESA">{{cite web |title=About the Mars Webcam: About |url=http://blogs.esa.int/vmc/about-the-mars-webcam/ |website=blogs.esa.int |publisher=[[European Space Agency]]}}</ref> The VMC is a camera-on-chip design, using the IRIS-1 system.<ref name="ESA" /> Originally used as engineering monitoring camera for the ''[[Beagle 2]]'' lander, it has a wide 40° [[field of view]] and limited imaging controls and it has no focus mechanism.<ref name="ESA" /> In 2016, it was used for professional science in addition to its roles as a technical monitoring camera and public outreach, etc.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mars Webcam goes pro |url=http://esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Mars_Webcam_goes_pro |website=esa.int |publisher=[[European Space Agency]] |date=25 May 2016}}</ref>

== History ==