CLUPI

CLUPI (Close-UP Imager) is a miniaturized camera system on board the planned European Space Agency Rosalind Franklin rover. CLUPI was designed to acquire high-resolution close-up images in colour of soils, outcrops, rocks, drill fines and drill core samples,[3] as well as and the search for potential biosignature structures and patterns.[4] This camera assembly is part of the science payload on board the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin rover,[5] tasked to search for biosignatures and biomarkers on Mars. The rover is planned to be launched in August–October 2022 and land on Mars in spring 2023.[2]

Close-UP Imager (CLuPI)
OperatorEuropean Space Agency
ManufacturerESA
Instrument typeVisible light camera
FunctionClose-up HD imaging ≥ 7 months[1]
Began operationsPlanned: 2023
WebsiteExoMars Rover Instrument Suite
Properties
Mass932 g
Dimensions170 × 80 × 100 mm
Power consumption15 W
Host spacecraft
SpacecraftRosalind Frankling rover
OperatorESA/Roscosmos
Launch dateAugust–October 2022[2]
RocketProton-M/Briz-M
Launch siteBaikonur

Overview

The CLUPI instrument is being developed by a Swiss–French consortium supported by the Swiss Space Office and the French Space Agency (CNES). Its Principal Investigator is Jean-Luc Josset, from the Space Exploration Institute, Neuchatel in Switzerland. Frances Westall and Beda Hofmann are Co-PIs.[4] The science team includes scientists from Canada, Europe and Russia, especially for biosignature recognition.[4] Instrument field tests started in 2009 with preliminary CLUPI systems tested during several Arctic winters.[4]

CLUPI will be mounted on the movable rover's drill box and it will acquire high-resolution, close-up images in colour of the texture, structure and morphology of rocks and soil.[3] The resolution will be similar to what geologists would obtain by using a hand-held magnifying lens:[4] at a distance of 10 cm from the target, the maximum resolution is 7 µm/pixel.[3] Its field of view can be changed by the use of two fixed, flat mirrors (FOV2 and FOV3). The CLUPI visual images will complement those provided by PanCam to provide the context necessary for interpretation of mineralogy and potential visible biosignatures.[4]

CLUPI will observe the drilling area very closely from different angles to help characterise rock structures such as embedded crystals and fractures. After the drill has been used and retracted, CLUPI will be used to image the amount and appearance of dislodged fines. From the high position, the camera will be able to observe the borehole to a depth of approximately 10 cm, depending on the local illumination conditions.[3] Then, CLUPI will be used to image the collected core prior to delivery to the rovers' internal analytical instruments for further processing and analyses. [3]

CLUPIPerformance/units[3][4]
DetectorFull colour Active Pixel Sensor (APS)
3 colours
Image dimension2652 × 1768 pixels
Field of view14°
Image resolution7 µm/pixel at 10 cm distance, viewed area 1.9 cm × 1.3 cm
39 µm/pixel at 50 cm distance, viewed area 10 cm × 7 cm
79 µm/pixel at 100 cm distance, viewed area 21 cm × 14 cm
Focal lengthVariable: 10 cm to infinity
Autofocus
Exposure time≤ 1024 seconds
Automatic exposure time.
Spectral range400 – 700 nm
Mass932 g
Data storage4 Gb
Max power consumption15 W

See also

References
  1. Vago, Jorge L.; et al. (July 2017). "Habitability on Early Mars and the Search for Biosignatures with the ExoMars Rover". Astrobiology. 17 (6–7): 471–510. Bibcode:2017AsBio..17..471V. doi:10.1089/ast.2016.1533. PMC 5685153. PMID 31067287.
  2. "N° 6–2020: ExoMars to take off for the Red Planet in 2022" (Press release). ESA. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  3. The ExoMars Rover Instrument Suite: CLUPI - Close-UP Imager. ESA. Accessed 30 July 2018.
  4. "The Close-Up Imager Onboard the ESA ExoMars Rover: Objectives, Description, Operations, and Science Validation Activities". Josset J.-L., et al., Astrobiology. July 2017, 17(6-7), 595-611. doi:10.1089/ast.2016.1546
  5. Howell, Elizabeth (July 24, 2018). "ExoMars: Searching for Life on Mars". Space.com. Retrieved March 13, 2020.

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