Visual Monitoring Camera

Valles Marineris on Mars in haze
Beagle 2 separation
Global view of planet Mars, with Elysium Planitia, where InSight landed in 2018, and Gale crater, where Curiosity landed in 2012 noted along with the North polar cap

The Visual Monitoring Camera (VMC),[1] also known as the Video Monitoring Camera[2] 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. Originally, VMC was a technical camera to monitor the separation of the Beagle 2 lander, but after a few years, it was repurposed into Mars Webcam, streaming its data to the web and even being used for science.

Starting in 2007, the VMC was used for the Mars Webcam project, where it takes global views of Mars at a high cadence and they are posted online.[3] The VMC is a camera-on-chip design, using the IRIS-1 system.[3] 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.[3] In 2016, it was used for professional science in addition to its roles as a technical monitoring camera and public outreach.[4]

  1. ^ "Mars Webcam: FAQ". blogs.esa.int. European Space Agency.
  2. ^ Gimenez, A.; Lebreton, J-P.; Svedhem, H.; Tauber, J. (February 2002). "Studies on the Re-use of the Mars Express Platform" (PDF). ESA Bulletin. 109 (109): 78. Bibcode:2002ESABu.109...78G.
  3. ^ a b c "Mars Webcam: About". blogs.esa.int. European Space Agency.
  4. ^ "Mars Webcam goes pro". esa.int. European Space Agency. 25 May 2016.