VICAR to RAS Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
VICAR is NASA/JPL's planetary image format — Mars rover and Voyager frames circulate in it, with a label block describing the instrument. Convert to RAS for legacy UNIX image archives.
Because the whole conversion happens on your device, it is instant, unlimited and genuinely private — no accounts, no watermarks, no files on anyone's server. Multiple files are converted in one go.
How VICAR compares to RAS
| VICAR | RAS | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | VICAR Planetary Image coder | Sun Raster coder |
| Compatibility | ImageMagick, specialty tools | ImageMagick, specialty tools |
| Best for | Legacy and specialty pipelines | Legacy and specialty pipelines |
How to convert VICAR to RAS
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your VICAR files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to RAS". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted RAS file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the VICAR format
The VICAR Planetary Image coder of the ImageMagick set — the planetary-science format is written natively by the magick.wasm engine, entirely in your browser.
Obscure coder formats like this are exactly what template-driven converters list and never actually convert — here it really works.
+Strengths
- ✓Written natively by ImageMagick
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser
- ✓Free, private, no watermarks
!Limitations
- −Niche format — few modern readers
- −Feature subset varies by coder
- −Keep the original for re-editing
About the RAS format
The Sun Raster coder of the ImageMagick set — the unix-archive format is written natively by the magick.wasm engine, entirely in your browser.
Obscure coder formats like this are exactly what template-driven converters list and never actually convert — here it really works.
+Strengths
- ✓Written natively by ImageMagick
- ✓Runs entirely in your browser
- ✓Free, private, no watermarks
!Limitations
- −Niche format — few modern readers
- −Feature subset varies by coder
- −Keep the original for re-editing
Why convert VICAR to RAS?
There is a concrete reason this conversion exists: Niche format — few modern readers RAS sidesteps that — Written natively by ImageMagick If that is your situation, the tool above settles it in seconds, entirely on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this VICAR to RAS converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will I lose quality converting VICAR to RAS?
No — RAS is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original VICAR file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
Can I convert several VICAR files at once?
Yes — drop as many files as you like into the tool and they are converted in one batch. When more than one file comes out, everything is bundled into a ZIP for a single download.
What happens to EXIF data and other metadata?
Conversions here re-encode the image, and re-encoding generally does not carry the original metadata over. If the EXIF data of your VICAR files matters (camera model, GPS, timestamps), keep the original file as the master and treat the converted copy as the shareable version.