| Spacecraft Parts: Instruments |
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HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment)
HiRISE will photograph hundreds of targeted swaths of Mars' surface in unprecedented detail.
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The HiRISE camera will provide the highest-resolution images yet from martian orbit.
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HiRISE operates in visible wavelengths, the same as human eyes, but
with a telescopic lens that will produce images at resolutions never
before seen in planetary exploration missions. These high resolution
images will enable scientists to resolve 1-meter (about 3-foot) sized
objects on Mars and to study the morphology (surface structure) in a
much more comprehensive manner than ever before.
HiRISE also makes observations at near-infrared wavelengths to
obtain information on the mineral groups present. From an altitude
varying between 200-400 kilometers (about 125 to 250 miles) above
Mars, HiRISE will return surface images that contain individual
basketball-sized pixel elements (30-60 centimeters, or 1 to 2 feet wide),
allowing surface features 4-8 ft across to be determined (resolved).
These new, high-resolution images will provide unprecedented views of
layered materials, gullies, channels, and other science targets, as well
as characterize possible future landing sites.
Areas for close-up HiRISE imaging will be selected on the basis of
data returned from the Mars Global Surveyor
and Mars Odyssey missions,
and from regional surveys conducted by the orbiter's instruments.
The Principal Investigator (lead scientist) for HiRISE is
Alfred McEwen from the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona.
Visit the instrument site:
 HiRISE Instrument Site
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