17 cameras no Curiosity

O rover Curiosity, que se encontra em Marte, tem 17 cameras, várias delas redundantes, sendo que nos pares de cameras só uma está em funcionamento. Se a que está a funcionar tiver problemas e deixar de funcionar, entra “ao serviço” a camera substituta.
O sistema de cameras permite ainda a criação de imagens tridimensionais do terreno em frente do Curiosity.

Vejam a imagem das cameras no rover:

Crédito: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Segundo o texto da NASA:
“This graphic shows the locations of the cameras on NASA’s Curiosity rover.
The rover’s mast features seven cameras: the Remote Micro Imager, part of the Chemistry and Camera suite; four black-and-white Navigation Cameras (two on the left and two on the right) and two color Mast Cameras (Mastcams). The left Mastcam has a 34-millimeter lens and the right Mastcam has a 100-millimeter lens.
There is one camera on the end of a robotic arm that is stowed in this graphic; it is called the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI).
There are nine cameras hard-mounted to the rover: two pairs of black-and-white Hazard Avoidance Cameras in the front, another two pair mounted to the rear of the rover, (dashed arrows in the graphic) and the color Mars Descent Imager (MARDI).”