Kodak Goes Where No Man Has Gone

Posted by Philip Northeast Aug 10, 2008

KODAK CCD Image Sensors capture images enabling the orbiter in one of its primary mission objectives – the collection of a full Martian year of weather data for the planet – and has already mapped over one-third of the planet’s entire surface.

Since its launch on August 12, 2005, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s has searched for evidence of water on the surface of Mars by closely scanning the surface of the planet, analyzing minerals, searching for subsurface water, observing dust and water patterns in the atmosphere, and monitoring daily weather.

“Kodak is extremely proud to be part of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,” said Michael Miller, manager of Kodak’s CCD Image Sensor Business. “We congratulate the entire MRO team, and especially Malin Space Science Systems, on reaching these milestones in their continued quest to unlock the secrets of Mars.”

The orbiter uses KODAK Image Sensors in two key components, the Mars Color Imager that provides daily weather reports for the planet, and the Context Camera, which captures wide-area views of the surface to help provide a context for high-resolution analysis of key locations on the planet.

The Mars Color Imager (MARCI), is a camera monitoring the surface and atmosphere of the planet across five visible and two ultraviolet wavelengths. This camera is based on the KODAK KAI-1001 Image Sensor, a one-megapixel device providing high sensitivity and high dynamic range.

The orbiter’s Context Camera (CTX) is based on the KODAK KLI-5001 Image Sensor, a 5,000-pixel linear CCD device that scans the surface of the planet as the orbiter passes overhead. Providing a resolution of six meters per pixel Kodak claim this allows features the size of a large pick-up truck to be detected, although to date no trucks have been found.