Collecting Samples in Gale Crater, Mars; an Overview of the Mars Science Laboratory Sample Acquisition, Sample Processing and Handling System

Anderson, Robert C.; Jandura, Louise; Okon, Avi; Sunshine, D.; Roumeliotis, Chris; Beegle, L. W.; Hurowitz, J. A.; Kennedy, Brian; Limonadi, D.; McCloskey, Scott; Robinson, M.; Seybold, C.; Brown, Kyle

doi:10.1007/s11214-012-9898-9

Cited by 136 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The camera head is mounted on a rotatable turret at the end of Curiosity's robotic arm ( Fig. 1; Anderson et al, 2012). The arm positions the camera, allowing MAHLI to image targets from a wide variety of perspectives both around and on the rover.…”

Section: Instrumentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The arm positions the camera, allowing MAHLI to image targets from a wide variety of perspectives both around and on the rover. Two contact sensor probes extend 1.9 cm from the front lens element to prevent the lens from contacting the surface (Anderson et al, 2012). MAHLI was designed to provide data salient to understanding the stratigraphy, grain-scale texture, structure, mineralogy, and morphology of geologic targets.…”

Section: Instrumentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the second phase of rover commissioning (sols 32-37; 8-13 September 2012), MAHLI was employed to image (1) portions of the rover to record their postlanding status, and (2) pre-launch-designated arm and turret positions (teach points) at rover hardware positions that were expected to be imaged repeatedly over the course of the mission. These included two of the five OCMs (1 and 5; Conrad et al, 2012), one of two replacement drill bit boxes (Anderson et al, 2012), and the observation tray (Anderson et al, 2012. In this example, OCM-1 was imaged before launch in July 2011 (left; image ATL_MH0090060020001340E01, illuminated by artificial overhead lighting and MAHLI's white light LEDs) and then imaged again on Mars in September 2012 (right; image 0034MH0000410010100009C00, illuminated by sunlight from the top left).…”

Section: Data Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dust-free surfaces are rare but yield best results in determining lithology when imaging on Mars. Areas where wind, the rover's dust removal tool (DRT; Anderson et al, 2012) or the ChemCam Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS; Wiens et al, 2012) removed the surface dust provided a better science return than dust-covered surfaces (Fig. 13).…”

Section: Imaging Best Practices 621 Dust-free Surfacesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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MAHLI on Mars: lessons learned operating a geoscience camera on a landed payload robotic arm

Yingst

Edgett

Kennedy

et al. 2016

Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst.

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Abstract. The Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) is a 2-megapixel, color camera with resolution as high as 13.9 µm pixel −1 . MAHLI has operated successfully on the Martian surface for over 1150 Martian days (sols) aboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity. During that time MAHLI acquired images to support science and science-enabling activities, including rock and outcrop textural analysis; sand characterization to further the understanding of global sand properties and processes; support of other instrument observations; sample extraction site documentation; range-finding for arm and instrument placement; rover hardware and instrument monitoring and safety; terrain assessment; landscape geomorphology; and support of rover robotic arm commissioning. Operation of the instrument has demonstrated that imaging fully illuminated, dust-free targets yields the best results, with complementary information obtained from shadowed images. The light-emitting diodes (LEDs) allow satisfactory night imaging but do not improve daytime shadowed imaging. MAHLI's combination of finescale, science-driven resolution, RGB color, the ability to focus over a large range of distances, and relatively large field of view (FOV), have maximized the return of science and science-enabling observations given the MSL mission architecture and constraints.

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Section: Instrumentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Instrumentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Imaging Best Practices 621 Dust-free Surfacesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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MAHLI on Mars: lessons learned operating a geoscience camera on a landed payload robotic arm

Yingst

Edgett

Kennedy

et al. 2016

Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst.

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“…262728 It could also include close-range high resolution imagers which must be placed in close proximity to desired portions of an outcrop, such as MSL's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), 29 or sampling systems such as drills or scoops (which MSL also carries 30 ). Deploying such instruments requires identifying high-value science targets within an outcrop.…”

Section: B Contact Science Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autonomous Rock Outcrop Segmentation as a Tool for Science and Exploration Tasks in Surface Operations

Francis

McIsaac

Thompson

et al. 2014

SpaceOps 2014 Conference

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As planetary exploration missions become increasingly complex and capable, the motivation grows for improved autonomous science. New capabilities for onboard science data analysis may relieve radio-link data limits and provide greater throughput of scientific information. For surface missions, geology remains an essential focus, and the investigation of in-place, exposed geological materials provides the greatest scientific insight and context for the formation and history of geological environments. The present work develops techniques for autonomous segmentation of images of rock outcrops. Recognition of the relationships between di↵erent geological units is the first step in mapping and interpreting a geological setting, and is important even in the absence of compositional information. The goal is to allow a computer to process an image of a rock outcrop and produce a map of visually-distinguishable geological units. Several scenarios are described in which this tool could enable more e cient and e↵ective science operations on planetary surfaces, by guiding instrument use, target selection, and other decisions in the exploration process.

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MAHLI at the Rocknest sand shadow: Science and science‐enabling activities

et al. 2013

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During Martian solar days 57–100, the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover acquired and processed a solid (sediment) sample and analyzed its mineralogy and geochemistry with the Chemistry and Mineralogy and Sample Analysis at Mars instruments. An aeolian deposit—herein referred to as the Rocknest sand shadow—was inferred to represent a global average soil composition and selected for study to facilitate integration of analytical results with observations from earlier missions. During first‐time activities, the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) was used to support both science and engineering activities related to sample assessment, collection, and delivery. Here we report on MAHLI activities that directly supported sample analysis and provide MAHLI observations regarding the grain‐scale characteristics of the Rocknest sand shadow. MAHLI imaging confirms that the Rocknest sand shadow is one of a family of bimodal aeolian accumulations on Mars—similar to the coarse‐grained ripples interrogated by the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity—in which a surface veneer of coarse‐grained sediment stabilizes predominantly fine‐grained sediment of the deposit interior. The similarity in grain size distribution of these geographically disparate deposits support the widespread occurrence of bimodal aeolian transport on Mars. We suggest that preservation of bimodal aeolian deposits may be characteristic of regions of active deflation, where winnowing of the fine‐sediment fraction results in a relatively low sediment load and a preferential increase in the coarse‐grained fraction of the sediment load. The compositional similarity of Martian aeolian deposits supports the potential for global redistribution of fine‐grained components, combined with potential local contributions.

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Collecting Samples in Gale Crater, Mars; an Overview of the Mars Science Laboratory Sample Acquisition, Sample Processing and Handling System

Cited by 136 publications

References 2 publications

MAHLI on Mars: lessons learned operating a geoscience camera on a landed payload robotic arm

MAHLI on Mars: lessons learned operating a geoscience camera on a landed payload robotic arm

Autonomous Rock Outcrop Segmentation as a Tool for Science and Exploration Tasks in Surface Operations

MAHLI at the Rocknest sand shadow: Science and science‐enabling activities

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