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Mars Polar Lander Mars Descent Imager (MARDI) Instrument Description

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The Challenge of MARDI

In an era of smaller, faster, and cheaper spacecraft, MARDI was designed to obtain scientifically valuable images within low mass, low power, and low budget constraints. MARDI had to fit with the design of the Mars Polar Lander (shown here). Read More...

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The Making of MARDI

MARDI, not much bigger than a pocket knife, is basically a stack of circuit boards and aluminum housings mated to a wide angle lens. People (including those shown here) assembled and tested MARDI in 1997 and 1998. The camera was launched in January 1999. Read More...

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Pre-Launch Pictures from MARDI

Pictures were taken to test MARDI's focus, pointing, calibration, and descent imaging sequence. The picture at the left, for example, shows part of a brief "descent movie" featuring an inflatable alien that guarded the Mars Polar Lander during its days at the Kennedy Space Center during launch preparation. See More...

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MARDI Technical Details

MARDI has a mass of only 480 grams and a volume of only 6 by 8 by 12 centimeters (12 cm = 4 3/4 inches). For more detailed information about the camera, Click Here...




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