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What is CRISM? The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) is 1 of 6 science experiments on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which takes measurements of both the surface and the atmosphere of Mars. CRISM data are used to find minerals’ spectral signatures on Mars. Different minerals form in different settings, ranging from ancient lakes and deltas to volcanic lava flows. We use the mineral evidence to understand how different geologic processes have shaped the planet over time. CRISM also observes the polar ice caps and atmosphere to understand seasonal and year-to-year variations in the Martian weather. |
Featured ImagesLatest NewsFebruary 9, 2018 January 11, 2018 July 29, 2016 June 15, 2016 May 3, 2016 March 17, 2016 Team ProfilesRead about the career paths that led members of the CRISM team into space exploration. CRISM Spectral LibraryThe MRO CRISM Spectral Library is an analysis tool for interpreting CRISM data. it currently contains 2,260 spectral analyses of 1,134 Mars-analog samples, all measured under desiccating conditions so that materials that adsorb water look as they would on Mars. This was made avaialble to the community through the PDS on the day that MRO entered Mars orbit! |
The MICA Files » The MICA Files is a compilation of published descriptions and type locations of unique spectral features identified on Mars by using data from CRISM. Learn more » CRISM Quickmap
Revealing Questions What is a gimbal?A gimbal is a mechanical system that allows the rotation around a single axis. CRISM has a gimbal that allows the instrument to pivot back and forth to track a particular location on the surface as the spacecraft flies over it. Remember, CRISM takes images that are roughly 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) long over about two minutes, as the MRO spacecraft travels at over 3 km/second at an altitude of 300 km! As MRO is overflying it target, the gimbal compensates for over 99% of MRO's along-track velocity. CRISM Facts CRISM was built and managed at the Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. |
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