Radiometric Calibration of the Rosetta Navigation Camera

Abstract

The Navigation Camera (NavCam) on board the Rosetta spacecraft was essential for optical navigation in the vicinity of the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Images acquired throughout the mission are also of high scientific interest. In order to extend the range of potential applications, we generated datasets of radiometrically calibrated images. For this purpose, methods based on stellar observations as well as cross-calibration with images of the extended comet nucleus were investigated. In this paper, we document technical characteristics of the camera, discuss the techniques applied for determining appropriate calibration factors, and describe the algorithms used for correcting detector effects and artifacts. The calibrated images were archived in the Planetary Science Archive of the European Space Agency.