Testing Mars 2020’s 20/20 vision

It’s 23 July 2019 – about a year from launch date for the Mars 2020 mission – and engineers at NASA’S Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are testing cameras on the rover’s mast and front chassis. The rover carries 23 cameras. Among them, its stereo Mastcam-z equipment will record high-definition colour images and video, and give a 3D view similar to human eyes. The chassis-mounted Hazard Avoidance Cams help with navigation and in avoiding obstacles. For more about Mars 2020 see our NASA Pilbara story, page 26.