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PanCam taking shape

By Oli Usher, on 8 December 2014

UCL’s contribution to the ExoMars Rover – the European Mars mission scheduled for touchdown in 2019 – is gradually taking shape. Quite literally.

The ExoMars PanCam optical bench being milled. Photo: MSSL

The ExoMars PanCam optical bench being milled. Photo: MSSL

This photo shows a prototype of the main structure of the panoramic camera (PanCam) instrument being machined out of a block of metal. PanCam will be the rover’s primary camera, producing high resolution 3D images of the Martian surface, and it is being being built by scientists and engineers at UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory.

The ExoMars PanCam optical bench. Photo: MSSL

The Finished product. Photo: MSSL

The structure is known as the ‘optical bench’. All the precision-built optical components, including detectors, lenses, mirrors and filter wheels (below), will be attached to this rigid housing.

Filter wheels for ExoMars PanCam. Photo: MSSL

Filter wheels for ExoMars PanCam. Photo: MSSL

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