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What is an engineering camera?
JUNE 20th 2025
Space-based imaging systems are foundational to nearly all space missions, providing visual data crucial for navigation, scientific discovery, and operational oversight. These systems span a wide spectrum, from relatively simple monitoring cameras used for engineering diagnostics to highly sophisticated scientific instruments designed for deep-space observation, lander or rovers, to Earth remote sensing. The increasing complexity and autonomy of modern space missions necessitate robust and reliable imaging capabilities that can operate effectively and continuously in the most extreme conditions.
Remote operations for spacecraft in orbit face significant challenges, primarily due to the vast distances involved and the lack of direct human intervention. Real-time decision-making is hindered by communication delays, and operators must rely heavily on telemetry data for situational awareness, which can sometimes be incomplete or ambiguous. Further, the harsh conditions of space, such as extreme temperatures and radiation, also pose risks to both the spacecraft and its instruments.
In this context, cameras play a critical role by providing visual feedback that complements telemetry data, enabling operators to monitor the spacecraft’s condition, assess its surroundings, and perform complex tasks like docking, inspection, manufacture or repairs with greater precision. Without high-quality, reliable imaging systems, the ability to address unexpected issues or ensure mission success would be significantly compromised.
Engineering cameras are pivotal tools used in space missions to provide critical visual feedback. These cameras serve as the spacecraft’s “eyes,” delivering imagery that offers insight into the spacecraft’s condition or its surroundings. Such visual feedback is instrumental for:
- Ensuring the proper operation and status of the spacecraft itself.
- Identifying potential hazards.
- Monitoring progress during deployments.
- Accomplishing complex tasks like 3D printing, manufacture or repairs.
- Evaluating manoeuvre performance such as navigation, rendezvous, and docking.
- Assessing asteroid or regolith samples.
Traditionally, engineering cameras have played a vital role in interplanetary rover missions, supporting navigation, hazard detection, and monitoring experiments or asset deployments.
Space 3.0 and Engineering Cameras
Space 3.0 represents the next era of space exploration, characterized by increased commercialization, technological advancements, and international collaboration. Unlike the earlier space race dominated by government agencies, as well as the purely commercial Space 2.0 era, Space 3.0 sees private companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab pioneering innovations in reusable rockets, satellite mega-constellations, and deep-space exploration. This movement is making space more accessible, lowering costs, and fuelling ambitious projects such as lunar bases, Mars colonization, and asteroid mining. As nations and industries invest in space infrastructure, the dream of a sustainable and thriving space economy inches closer to reality, promising to revolutionize life both on and beyond Earth.
Engineering cameras play a crucial role in Space 3.0 by enhancing safety, efficiency, and scientific discovery across various space missions. These cameras are used for monitoring rocket launches, tracking spacecraft conditions, and ensuring the integrity of equipment on space stations and satellites. In space exploration, they allow engineers to remotely inspect spacecraft components, detect anomalies, and perform maintenance without direct human intervention. Additionally, Engineering cameras are vital for autonomous landings on celestial bodies, helping rovers and probes navigate challenging terrain. For commercial ventures, such as space tourism and lunar bases, they provide real-time observation, improving operational security and mission transparency. As space technology advances, engineering cameras continue to be indispensable tools, enabling precision, reliability, and deeper exploration beyond Earth.
On a completely different front, engineering cameras are being swept up to evidence a movement seeing increasing sponsorship and marketing campaigns for terrestrial brands, think fashion, sports-wear and even foods, as their economies transition into orbit and beyond.
Engineering Cameras in Action
Enhanced Contextual Feedback on Deployments:
As space missions get complex with more and more deployment structures, it is essential to verify the proper deployment of these structures. Unlike binary ON/OFF systems, cameras deliver a visual representation of events or conditions. Engineering cameras are vital to verify the deployment of structures such as antennae and solar deployments, or payload deployments related to space mobility applications.
Anomaly Detection:
Engineering Cameras provides invaluable information on state of spacecraft such as satellites and rovers. The cameras can provide visual feedback on physical anomalies due to malfunctioning of spacecraft subsystems, damages caused by space debris, or degree of dust buildup on solar panels.
Due to the increased number of space debris, the likelihood of damaging a spacecraft or part of a spacecraft with micrometeoroid or small space debris is increasing. Engineering cameras can provide imagery to identify severity of such damages which can be vital for mission planning and operations.
Space Situational Awareness:
Self-awareness is an important aspect of space situational awareness. The previous two aspects of deployment monitoring and anomality detection can be considered as sub categories of self-awareness. In addition to that, engineering cameras can provide visual feedback on spacecraft orientation and the environment around the spacecraft. This can be spacecraft pointing verification applied to satellites or hazard detection applied to inter-planetary rover missions.
In-Space Manufacturing (ISM) and Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO)
Cameras are indispensable for RPO (Rendezvous and Proximity Operations) and in-space manufacturing because they provide real-time visual feedback, ensuring precision, safety, and efficiency in complex space environments. In RPO, high-resolution cameras assist in docking maneuvers, helping spacecraft align and connect with satellites or space stations with millimeter accuracy. They track relative motion, detect obstacles, and verify successful engagements, reducing the risk of collisions.
For in-space manufacturing, cameras monitor automated assembly processes, ensuring components are correctly positioned and functional. They also play a key role in defect detection, allowing engineers to remotely assess materials and structures built in microgravity. As autonomous robotic systems take on more tasks in orbital construction and spacecraft repairs, cameras enable continuous observation and adjustment, making space-based production more reliable. Without these advanced imaging systems, precision operations in orbit or deep space would be far more challenging, if not impossible.
Media Camera Applications
Using monitoring cameras to capture space derived images is becoming increasingly popular as more and more commercial entities are launching space missions. Space generated images used for media releases and promotional activities tend to attract a wider audience and provide more engagement to such content. The usage of on-orbit generated images to demonstrate the mission success is becoming increasingly popular among start-up companies which relies heavily on external funding opportunities to reach their goals.
How to choose the right engineering camera?
Selecting the right engineering camera involves careful evaluation of mission requirements. Here are the key factors to consider:
Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP)
SWaP is a critical consideration for space missions, specially for small form factor spacecraft with limited power resources:
- Low-SWaP Cameras: Compact and lightweight, and may allow opportunity for multiple dispersed units, but may sacrifice performance.
- High-SWaP Cameras: Offer superior performance and accuracy, ideal for missions demanding high precision.
Spectral Response
The choice of spectral response depends on mission objectives:
- Visible Spectrum (Monochrome or RGB): For standard imaging tasks.
- Near-Infrared (NIR) or Infrared (IR): For specialized applications, such as thermal monitoring.
- Support for optical filters may also be required to achieve specific imaging goals.
Pixel Resolution
Higher pixel resolution enables sharper and more detailed imagery when combined with suitable optics. However, mission designers must balance resolution needs with other camera specifications, such as power consumption and data bandwidth.
Frame Rate
The required frame rate varies based on the application:
- Low Frame Rate (~1 FPS): Suitable for situational awareness snapshots where fast movements in the FoV are not anticipated.
- Medium Frame Rate (10–30 FPS): Ideal for monitoring structural deployments, payload deployment or Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO).
- High Frame Rate (100–1000 FPS): Necessary for demanding tasks like space-based surveillance or high-speed deployment monitoring
Field of View (FoV) and Related Parameters
The FoV determines the camera’s coverage area:
- Wide FoV (>40 degrees): Used for monitoring the spacecraft or its surroundings.
- Narrow FoV (Few degrees): Suitable for applications like space robotics or space-based manufacturing.
- Very Narrow FoV (<1 degree): Required for space based space surveillance or long range surveillance.
Wide FoV generally leads to lower spatial resolution which limits the smallest object size that can be identified in the captured images.
Target Object Distance and Depth of Field
Depending on the object/ scene of interest, the engineering camera must be focused to a pre-determined target object distance. The depth of field of the camera should also be considered depending on the interested target object distance range. An increased depth of field can be achieved by selecting a smaller optical aperture. However, a smaller aperture will lead to less light passing through the lens assembly to the sensor and, hence producing darker images.
Data handling and communication interface
Image data handling and communication interfaces can significantly affect the camera usage and functionality. High resolution and high frame rate cameras can produce large amount of image data. The amount of image data can be reduced through lossless or lossy image compression. However, lossy compression may affect the usability of imagery for certain applications which require raw pixel data.
Once image data is captured, the data should be retrieved from the camera in real time if data storage is not available on the camera itself. If the camera has the capability to capture and save image data on-board, the data can be retrieved later.
Sun Exclusion and Glare Mitigation
Depending on the criticality of the camera, the camera may need additional baffles to limit the effects due to glare from the sun. Custom designed baffles may not be required for routine self-monitoring or surrounding monitoring applications. However, applications/ missions rely on the accuracy of the image data such as experiment monitoring, navigation, and docking could benefit from well designed baffles to reduce the effect of the glare from the sun.
Illumination
In addition to sun exclusion and glare mitigation, there are certain remote operations that benefit from artificial illumination by way of LEDs. This has been proven necessary for rover missions to the Lunar surface, whether for navigation at low/high latitudes or for example for assessing regolith samples, or for certain image capture requirements when the spacecraft is in an eclipse. The use of additional artificial illumination, event at short bursts during image capture, provides the added benefit of continued imaging capability in low light conditions.
Conclusions
Engineering cameras are indispensable in remote operations such as our modern space missions, offering unparalleled visual feedback and operational versatility. By carefully evaluating specifications such as SWaP, spectral response, frame rates, and interfaces, mission designers can select the ideal camera solution tailored to their objectives. As space exploration evolves, engineering cameras will undoubtedly continue to play a vital role in ensuring mission success.
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