Mars 2020 Perseverance ( is a great space mission with a great goal: searching for life on the red planet.

From the perspective of computer vision engineer, imaging systems on Mars 2020 Perseverance is an exciting topic to investigate.

An imaging systems with 23 (16 engineering + 7 science) cameras to support robot navigation, documentation and scientific measurements.

What are the scopes, what are the technologies, what are the specifications, challenges, solutions…? Perseverance is a mobile robot, is it using a 3d system, which type?

A lot of answers are publicly available and deeply described in several papers. See at the bottom for some reference.

Here is a map we created for your quick overview


Maki, J.N., Gruel, D., McKinney, C. et al. The Mars 2020 Engineering Cameras and Microphone on the Perseverance Rover: A Next-Generation Imaging System for Mars Exploration. Space Sci Rev 216, 137 (2020).

Hayes, A.G., Corlies, P., Tate, C. et al. Pre-Flight Calibration of the Mars 2020 Rover Mastcam Zoom (Mastcam-Z) Multispectral, Stereoscopic Imager. Space Sci Rev 217, 29 (2021).

Kinch, K.M., Madsen, M.B., Bell, J.F. et al. Radiometric Calibration Targets for the Mastcam-Z Camera on the Mars 2020 Rover Mission. Space Sci Rev 216, 141 (2020).

Bell, J.F., Maki, J.N., Mehall, G.L. et al. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mast Camera Zoom (Mastcam-Z) Multispectral, Stereoscopic Imaging Investigation. Space Sci Rev 217, 24 (2021).

Manrique, J.A., Lopez-Reyes, G., Cousin, A. et al. SuperCam Calibration Targets: Design and Development. Space Sci Rev 216, 138 (2020).

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