Nhk's 8k Cameras To Be Used For Mars Probe
NHK and Japan's space agency have announced a plan to use ultra-high-definition cameras in the future probe of Mars and its moons.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, plans to launch its probe Martian Moons eXploration, or MMX, in the fiscal year beginning in April 2024. The probe will approach Mars and observe its two moons, Phobos and Deimos. It will land on Phobos to collect surface samples and take them back to Earth.
NHK and JAXA are jointly developing ultra-high-definition 8K and 4K cameras to be installed on the probe. The cameras will be given treatment to protect them from radiation.
The cameras will be fixed on the probe's side and underside to film Mars from above and during the probe's landing on Phobos.
Some of the images taken by the cameras will be sent to Earth and original footage will be digitally stored on a capsule that will eventually return to Earth.
NHK has previously offered its high-definition cameras for use on Japan's lunar probe "Kaguya." It has also taken high-definition images using 4K cameras at the International Space Station.
NHK says the probe is scheduled to arrive on Mars in 2025, the year marking 100 years since it began broadcasting in Japan. It says it will make efforts to share ultra-high-definition footage of Mars and its moons with viewers.
