Recent News & Updates
NAC Cleanroom Calibration - The First NAC
Here is one of the LROC NAC cameras in the cleanroom at Malin Space Science Systems in 2008. We're looking down the baffle tube. The white silver sickle-like form is the primary mirror of the optics. The small golden circle is the backside of the secondary mirror which reflects incoming light back out. Also visible on the right is a spectroradiometer used for calibrations.
Narrow Angle Cameras (NAC)
One of the LROC Narrow Angle Cameras (NAC), photographed in a cleanroom at Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego last year. The long silver tube is the baffle for straylight rejection. It is made of carbon fiber. The golden part of the NAC is the optics, a Ritchey-Chretien telescope with an aperture of about 7.7 inches (19.5 cm), which focuses the light onto a CCD line-scanner in the back (not visible). For scale, the NAC has a diameter of about 10 inches (26 cm) and a length of 27.5 inches (70 cm).
WAC Calibration
Here is a picture from last year showing the LROC Wide Angle Camera (WAC) in a cleanroom at Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego. The WAC (foreground) looks towards the monochromator (grey box) which emits light of a certain wavelength (color). By scanning through all relevant wavelengths between 290 nm (ultraviolet) and 720 nm (very deep red) the color response of each of the 7 WAC (2 UV + 5 visible) filters is determined. In this particular image a spectroradiometer is placed in front of the aperture of the monochromator.
Wide Angle Camera (WAC)
Here is a picture of the LROC Wide Angle Camera (WAC) from last year, prior to its installation on the LRO spacecraft. The silver vertical tube in the center with the small baffle above it is the ultraviolet part of the optical system. The large V-shaped baffle directly behind it is the visible part of the optical system. Both optics lead to the CCD sensor, which is located inside the electronics box on the bottom of WAC (where data and power cables are attached). The CCD is cooled by the comparatively giant radiator that is visible in the back of the image. For scale, the width of the electronics box is about 4 inches (10 centimeters).