Space cameras from our partner 3D PLUS have now been successfully deployed in various space missions and projects by NASA and other organizations. On this overview page, we would like to briefly introduce some of these projects, explain how the 3D PLUS space cameras were utilized, and describe the conditions under which they are used.
The 4MP camera head from 3D PLUS is part of Perseverance’s SuperCam instrument; serving as the optoelectronic head for the Remote MicroImager subsystem, it provides imaging capabilities for ground monitoring and remote photography.
The Perseverance rover—equipped with the SuperCam instrument and the “Ingenuity” mini-helicopter housed in its underbelly—was launched toward Mars on July 30, 2020, and successfully landed on February 18, 2021.
The 4MP camera head supports rock and soil identification, laser alignment for rock analysis, and the creation of panoramic views of the Martian landscape.
The image shows a shot taken by the Perseverance rover as the “Ingenuity” helicopter lifts off for a short “hop”—its first flight after a long hiatus.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS
The 4MP camera head from 3D PLUS is the optoelectronic head of the Iris instrument on the EyeSat 3U nanosatellite.
EyeSat is a student-built CubeSat and part of CNES’s JANUS program. Development of the CubeSat within the French space agency began in 2012, and more than 200 students have been involved in the project.
Launched into LEO in 2019, it is used to study and analyze zodiacal light within the solar system and to create 360-degree color images of the Milky Way.
The 4Mpx camera head from 3D PLUS is the optoelectronic head of the LEIA camera, which was used in 2022 to confirm the impact of the DART spacecraft on the asteroid Dimorphos.
The DART spacecraft was the very first mission to research and demonstrate a method for deflecting asteroids. The aim was to change the direction of the asteroid’s movement in space using a kinetic impact.
This method was later considered a success after NASA analyzed the data, as the asteroid’s trajectory could be changed by the impact.
The image shows the ejecta clouds emanating from Dimorphos after DART collided with it on September 26, 2022.
Credit: ASI/NASA/APL
The space cameras from 3D PLUS are part of ESA’s future MSR program in collaboration with NASA, a concept for returning samples from Mars to Earth.
They offer the possibility of image display both for the Earth Return Orbiter (multi-camera monitoring system, in particular for monitoring sample collection on Mars) and for the robotic arm of the Sample Return Lander (Sample Transfer Arm, as an important camera for sample detection and collection).
The image shows ESA’s 3D animation of the Sample Return Lander collecting and stowing samples from Mars.
Credit: ESA/NASA
If you would like general information about the space cameras and camera heads from our supplier 3D PLUS, please contact our team directly or arrange a callback.
If you require space cameras or camera heads from our supplier 3D PLUS for one of your projects or would like advice on the technology regarding certain specifications, we will be happy to offer you a solution in person.
