'Lunar ExoCam' project aims to film spacecraft touchdowns on the moon

[Admin]

NASA has just awarded a $650,000 grant to the team behind Lunar ExoCam, a camera system designed to eject from moon landers and record video of their touchdowns from the otherworldly gray ground.

'Lunar ExoCam' project aims to film spacecraft touchdowns on the moon : Read more

 

[allanrbrewer]

So how do the cameras line up in the correct direction to get the footage after bouncing down on the ground?

 

[JasontheGreat]

So how do the cameras line up in the correct direction to get the footage after bouncing down on the ground?

Hello Allan - thanks for your comment / question - the current terrestrial Lunar ExoCam prototype carries a 360' GoPro MAX camera so all "directions" are filmed simultaneously, thereby simplifying the mechanical systems so as to not require gimbal or similar mechanisms. Edit of the captured video to 16x9 or similar frame can be done after the fact, or the full 360' video can be viewed on many computer broswers, YouTube or similar with a 3D scrolling option throughout the frame. If you watch the attached mini-doc video above you will notice a few moments where the rocket footage "zooms out" and back in momentarily to reveal the entire 360' frame. Aspect ratio (although appearing distorted in that brief presentation) is adjusted as you pan throughout.

 

[allanrbrewer]

Thanks