Mars Color Imager (MARCI) on the Mars Climate Orbiter

The Mars Color Imager, or MARCI, experiment on the Mars Climate Orbiter (MC O) consists of two cameras with unique optics and identical focal plane ass emblies (FPAs), Data Acquisition System (DAS) electronics, and power suppli es. Each camera is characterized by small physical size and mass (similar t o6 X 6 X 12 cm, including baffle; < 500 g), low power requirements (< 2.5 W , including power supply losses), and high science performance (1000 X 1000 pixel, low noise). The Wide Angle (WA) camera will have the capability to map Mars in five visible and two ultraviolet spectral bands at a resolution of better than 8 km/pixel under the worst case downlink data rate. Under b etter downlink conditions the WA will provide kilometer-scale global maps o f atmospheric phenomena such as clouds, hazes, dust storms, and the polar h ood. Limb observations will provide additional detail on atmospheric struct ure at 1/3 scale-height resolution. The Medium Angle (MA) camera is designe d to study selected areas of Mars at regional scale. From 400 km altitude i ts 6 degrees FOV, which covers similar to 40 km at 40 m/pixel, will permit all locations on the planet except the poles to be accessible for image acq uisitions every two mapping cycles (roughly 52 sols). Eight spectral channe ls between 425 and 1000 nm provide the ability to discriminate both atmosph eric and surface features on the basis of composition. The primary science objectives of MARCI are to (1) observe Martian atmospheric processes at syn optic scales and mesoscales, (2) study details of the interaction of the at mosphere with the surface at a variety of scales in both space and time, an d (3) examine surface features characteristic of the evolution of the Marti an climate over time. MARCI will directly address two of the three high-lev el goals of the Mars Surveyor Program: Climate and Resources. Life, the thi rd goal, will be addressed indirectly through the environmental factors ass ociated with the other two goals.