SPACE PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE EXPLORATION OF MARS,
Abstract
The photographic exploration of Mars, and that of all temporally varying planets, is a multi-variable process in which surface resolution, geographic coverage, and observation time are all of importance. Thus, the conception and design of photographic missions is concerned with the balancing of these and other factors against the total photographic data that can be returned from the spacecraft. This paper emphasizes photography as a communication process in which information flows from the object being studied to the minds of scientists on the ground. It attempts to place this process in a quantitative framework, drawing examples from the exploration of Mars but indicating applications elsewhere as well. The concluding section is concerned with how best to proceed further with the photographic exploration of Mars as well as the question of balance between the exploration of Mars and the rest of the solar system. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0693923
Entities
People
- Bruce C. Murray
- Merton E. Davies
Organizations
- RAND Corporation