The Collection consists of combined transmittal interoffice memos, calibration test reports, image data prints of graphs and several tables of the various calibration tests conducted for the MVM '73 Mission. The collection includes documents and eight by ten-inch photographic black and white images of calibrated tests performed during the period 1972-1973 of Mariner Venus Mercury '73 cameras. Tests included TV cameras A and B, flight 1, flight 2, bench 1 and bench 2. These tests assisted the engineers and the Imaging Instrument Team in resolving the various instrumental alternatives in terms of coverage, total data return, central line and pixel, un-correlated and correlated scale factors and surface resolutions. Also, the experience gained from these tests could be applied in subsequent planetary imaging designs. The photographic images in this collection are referred to by test name, date and frame number. They are the calibration tests conducted at JPL. The Light Transfer Hysteresis test shows Exposure Time, Exposure, Mean DN, and Sigma for one set of Ascending and Descending Light Transfer runs (one set for each camera). It was suggested the latest Light Cannon test be used. Another test conducted was the Residual Image test, which was comparing line plots (averaged over lines 360 to 404 for B camera and lines 400 to 424 for A camera) of the appropriate images (for both the raw and stretched versions). This was obtained directly by differentiating two appropriate frames in each test. During the Reciprocity test, which was one graph for each camera showing a set of curves of relative sensitivity (Mean Data Number/ Rapidly Extensible Language System) as a function of exposure time; there were three curves on each graph corresponding to three Mean DN levels. The Shading test was one set of LITE-TRANSFER plots for each camera (five regions); and the corresponding tabular output. This was a set of Raw and Stretched frames corresponding to the plots on the Mission Test and Video System. In ordered to facilitate the mission imaging instruments, the following 16 additional tests were conducted in varying order: the Light Transfer Through Celestron and Light Cannon test, the Light Transfer - All Filters test, Lite Leak test, All Breadboard Fields Tapes Test, Geometric Distortion test, Imaging (Celestron) test, Wide Angle Filter test, Resolution of Exposure test, Noise test, All PDM and Post Vibration test, Herring's Gain Setting test, Fabry test and Blemishes and Anomalies test. The results of these tests were compared to representative values of tests from the Mariner Mars '71 Mission. As a result, the Imaging Instrument Team was able to measure what problems MVM' 73 might encounter and allowed MVM '73 to return better images at faster rates than all previous Mariner Missions. The binder/folder arrangement of the material as received is maintained in the collection as processed. The folders are therefore not strictly chronologically in order. Some folders are subdivisions of a particular title, as noted in the file title list below.
