PDS_VERSION_ID = PDS3 RECORD_TYPE = STREAM LABEL_REVISION_NOTE = "2007-05-25; 2007-06-06 EN:bsword reformatted" OBJECT = INSTRUMENT INSTRUMENT_HOST_ID = MRO INSTRUMENT_ID = CTX OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_INFORMATION INSTRUMENT_NAME = "CONTEXT CAMERA" INSTRUMENT_TYPE = Camera INSTRUMENT_DESC = " The instrument overview provided here is the abstract from [MALINETAL2007]; for more details, see that paper. Instrument Overview =================== The Context Camera (CTX) on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is a Facility Instrument (i.e., government-furnished equipment operated by a science team not responsible for design and fabrication) designed, built, and operated by Malin Space Science Systems and the MRO Mars Color Imager team (MARCI). CTX will (1) provide context images for data acquired by other MRO instruments, (2) observe features of interest to NASA's Mars Exploration Program (e.g., candidate landing sites), and (3) conduct a scientific investigation, led by the MARCI team, of geologic, geomorphic, and meteorological processes on Mars. CTX consists of a digital electronics assembly; a 350 mm f/3.25 Schmidt-type telescope of catadioptric optical design with a 5.7-degree fiels of view, providing a ~30-km wide swath from ~290 km altitude; and a 5000-element CCD with a band pass of 500-700 nm and 7 micron pixels, giving ~6 m/pixel spatial resolution from MRO's nearly circular, nearly polar mapping orbit. Raw data are transferred to the MRO spacecraft flight computer for processing (e.g., data compression) before transmission to Earth. The ground data system and operations are based on 9 years of Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera on-orbit experience. CTX has been allocated 12 percent of the total MRO data return, or about >= 3 terabits for the nominal mission. This data volume would cover ~9 percent of Mars at 6 m/pixel, but overlapping images (for stereo, mosaics, and observation of changes and meteorological events) will reduce this area. CTX acquired its first (instrument checkout) images of Mars on 24 March 2006." END_OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_INFORMATION OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_REFERENCE_INFO REFERENCE_KEY_ID = MALINETAL2007 END_OBJECT = INSTRUMENT_REFERENCE_INFO END_OBJECT = INSTRUMENT END