Curiosity - Mars Science Laboratory

[Shelley]

now, I know they spent quite a bit of money on this endeavor... over $2billion? and all we got are shots of the....ground???
https://www.google.com/search?q=curiosity rover&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=n04hUOK-K4LS2gXpvYCYCg&biw=1760&bih=767&sei=ok4hUNavCYWqrQGup4Ew

for $2billion, I would expect HD videos of the landscape, **** ton of high res images, etc.

You have to appreciate the time spent developing the rover, working on it for years and getting it to this point they are conducting tests making sure the rover and all of it's components are working. It's not a matter of Land >> Drive and take photos. I'm watching the live stream now and they are speaking about doing some tests tomorrow and using the hi-res mast cam and doing a mid tier to low tier 2 pass 360.

They'll also be upping the data rates on the orbiters i'm assuming to get more images back to earth and the fact the multitude of instruments warrant a higher data rate than previous rovers due to the amount of images curiosity will take.

The HD stuff will come once all tests have been conducted.

live stream: http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl

 

[MilesDB]

now, I know they spent quite a bit of money on this endeavor... over $2billion? and all we got are shots of the....ground???
...
for $2billion, I would expect HD videos of the landscape, **** ton of high res images, etc.

From Curiosity Rover's twitter page:

"FYI, I aim to send bigger, color pictures from Mars later this week once I've got my head up & Mastcam active"

http://twitter.com/MarsCuriosity

 

[Shelley]

The landing site.

If my memory serves me well watching the live stream.

The heat shield is 1200 meters from curiosity
Parachute is 615 meters from curiosity
Skycrane is 650 meters from curiosity

 

[MilesDB]

The landing site.

How far is it from other rovers?

 

[Edrondol]

From Curiosity Rover's twitter page:

"FYI, I aim to send bigger, color pictures from Mars later this week once I've got my head up & Mastcam active"

http://twitter.com/MarsCuriosity

Also, the email I got from the engineers on the mission AND POSTED HERE says: "We will know more over the next days and weeks as we begin to wake-up the rover and it's instrumentation."

Personally, I think the original post about what we should be seeing based on the cost is trolling at best and ignorant at worst.

 

[Adam Howard]

It will be interesting when they finally can shoot video. That will be interest.

 

[MilesDB]

Personally, I think the original post about what we should be seeing based on the cost is trolling at best and ignorant at worst.

The cost is staggering. I guess people equate money spent with immediate benefit received in the technology-rich now. It's said that in the long run tech advancements brought by the space exploration has 1 to 7-8 investment return though.

 

[MilesDB]

It will be interesting when they finally can shoot video. That will be interest.

I really hope the HD images and videos won't be doctored to make Mars look reddish as it happened before. True colors, please!!

 

[Adam Howard]

The cost is staggering. I guess people equate money spent with immediate benefit received in the technology-rich now. It's said that tech advancements brought by the space exploration has 1 to 7-8 investment return though.

One of the things I have always been disappointed about humanity is how much we're held back due to $$$$

Do you know how many things we have been proven on paper, completed successful simulation, and sometimes even developed working prototypes, but were never put into use because of the cost?!

General Question.... Who here likes CD's ?

Did you know that they were actually invented in the 60's (1965) ? ! True story. The technology was there, but the cost was the dismissing factor. So for another 30 years we stuck mostly to tapes.

James Russell invented the compact disk in 1965. James Russell was granted a total of 22 patents for various elements of his compact disk system. However, the compact disk did not become popular until it was mass manufactured by Philips in 1980. And even then it was limited to only data.

The first working prototype was produced in 1979, and CD players were released in 1982. It wouldn't become wildly accepted or available until the 1990's

 

[Edrondol]

The Iraq war cost us about $720 million A DAY. So this whole project from start to execution cost us 2.78 DAYS of Iraq war. Tell me again how the money was wasted in scientific pursuits.

 

[MilesDB]

There is no end to stupidity. It's just the way we are. I just hope we as a human race will eventually take good care of this planet. I call it Planet Home. I wouldn't wanna live in a world where there are no trees, bugs, bacteria and even fungi that distroyed cheese in my fridge. They are all me; and I am them.

 

[Pereira]

now, I know they spent quite a bit of money on this endeavor... over $2billion? and all we got are shots of the....ground???
https://www.google.com/search?q=curiosity rover&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=n04hUOK-K4LS2gXpvYCYCg&biw=1760&bih=767&sei=ok4hUNavCYWqrQGup4Ew

for $2billion, I would expect HD videos of the landscape, **** ton of high res images, etc.

Try downloading a HD movie from Mars at rates varying between 0.01 to 0.03 megabits per second directly back to earth and 0.25 megabits per second to the orbiters.

The images are heavily compressed as thumbnails, they then pick the ones they feel are best and download them as higher resolution versions later. I believe the orbiters can receive something like 30 megabytes of data at every pass over. The main cameras have not been in use yet so it will be a few days until any high resolution images pop up.

Hopefully we will see some great panorama images like the one of Victoria Crater taken by Opportunity.

 

[Shelley]

Another good image but more importantly a nice gesture from google to the guys that made it all possible.

 

[captainslater]

Color image:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16007.html

 

[Pereira]

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674789main_pia16021-full_full.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674758main_pia16018-full_full.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674898main_pia16013-full_full.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674814main_pia16010-full_full.jpg

Amazing!

 

[Adam Howard]

Seems as though Mars up close is more of a chocolate brown.... The old non sugar, banking coco. That is what it looks to me.

Still wanting to see a clear skyline without them trying to paint it red.

 

[ArnyVee]

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674789main_pia16021-full_full.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674758main_pia16018-full_full.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674898main_pia16013-full_full.jpg

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674814main_pia16010-full_full.jpg

Amazing!

That third picture is SPECTACULAR!

 

[Shelley]

Thruster scour marks in the foreground

 

[captainslater]

With some color, the image was brightened because it was taken on martian afternoon and there it isn't that sunny as on earth:

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/675225main_pia16029-43_800-600.jpg

 

[Shelley]

For those that are interested. Theres a daily news conference/update on the previous days tasks and what the upcoming tasks and duties will be with regards to the mars laboratory mission.

The stream runs around 6pm UK time (unsure the conversaion for other time zones) but here's the link http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl

*watches the landing cgi Vid for the 100th time* it just never gets old.