Mars Rover Curiosity touches down tonight!

[kndrewa]

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, a satellite that's been imaging the surface of Mars for the last 6 years, took this photograph of Curiosity, it's heat shield, the skycrane, and the parachute!

 

[Rob Mayercik]

It has a 2mp camera. There isn't even a camera phone sold anymore with a camera that crappy.

Electronics that get shot into space have to deal with a much harsher environment than your pants pocket - that means more expensive materials and a LOT of testing, so they don't keep up with the commercial state-of-the-art. Space-rated CPUs haven't even reached 500MHz yet, far as I know.

That "crappy" camera likely has to be radiation-hardened, multiple-fault-tolerant, and built to survive being launched, travelling a year in the hard vacuum of interplanetary space, the heat and vibration of entry/descent/landing, and then whatever Mars herself throws at it now that the rover's got it's wheels under it.

Can't wait to see some color shots of those mountains - maybe there's some good wheelin' up there...

 

[kndrewa]

Electronics that get shot into space have to deal with a much harsher environment than your pants pocket - that means more expensive materials and a LOT of testing, so they don't keep up with the commercial state-of-the-art. Space-rated CPUs haven't even reached 500MHz yet, far as I know.

That "crappy" camera likely has to be radiation-hardened, multiple-fault-tolerant, and built to survive being launched, travelling a year in the hard vacuum of interplanetary space, the heat and vibration of entry/descent/landing, and then whatever Mars herself throws at it now that the rover's got it's wheels under it.

Can't wait to see some color shots of those mountains - maybe there's some good wheelin' up there...

Another very important aspect of running a mission in space is power draw! These things are precision engineered to use as little power as possible for efficiency, heat considerations, etc. It's incredibly inspiring engineering at it's finest! It's kind of like laughing at the guys who lift their full size trucks on 44's but they are totally street trucks and never see the dirt. The cameras on Curiosity don't have anything to prove - they work perfectly for their intended uses. Not a big waste of lift and tire, like on ridiculous show trucks.

Yep, Curiosity will 'wheel on up to the top of Mount Sharp in the center of Gale Crater where it landed in a year or so! Mount Sharp is a central crater peak - a common rocky body feature - created by the backlash of material when an asteroid impacts the surface.

Here is an inspiring example of a central crater peak, called Tycho, on Earth's moon:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/lro-tycho.html

 

[Russ Pottenger]

After the landing it was funny seeing all of the pocket protector/techno geeks hi fivein each other in the control center.

 

[kndrewa]

Here is a link to a bunch of very cool technologies we all take for granted, each one of them a spin-off from NASA developments. NASA Spin Offs

 

[kndrewa]

An example from 1985:

New Life for Miss Liberty

Issue: 1985 Category: Public Safety
Page: 80-81 Center: Goddard Space Flight Center
State: PA Manufacturer: INORGANIC COATINGS, INC.
Origin: Developed By Goddard Space Center To Protect Gantries/other Structures Exposed To Salt Spray and Fog at Ksc
Tech Terms: Inorganic Coatings, Corrosion Resistance, Protective Coatings, Statue Statueof Liberty
Abstract:
Corrosion protection for the Statue of Liberty's interior structure is provided by a coating called IC 531, manufactured by Inorganic Coatings, Inc. The coating was developed by Goddard to protect structures at KSC. Inorganic Coatings has an exclusive to this high ratio potassium silicate formula. The coating is water based, nontoxic, nonflammable, and bonds to steel in 30 minutes. Tests on a variety of coated structures have been very positive.

+ Go To Full Article

 

[kndrewa]

More recently:


Technologies Advance UAVs for Science, Military

Issue: 2010 Category: Public Safety
Page: 72 Center: Goddard Space Flight Center
State: VA Manufacturer: Aurora Sciences Corporation
Origin: UAV-related SBIRs, Space Act Agreement to advance composite manufacturing methods
Tech Terms: UAV, Composites, Global Hawk,
Abstract:
A Space Act Agreement with Goddard Space Flight Center and West Virginia University enabled Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, of Manassas, Virginia, to develop cost-effective composite manufacturing capabilities and open a facility in West Virginia. The company now employs 160 workers at the plant, tasked with crafting airframe components for the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program. While one third of the company's workforce focuses on Global Hawk production, the rest of the company develops advanced UAV technologies that are redefining traditional approaches to unmanned aviation. Since the company's founding, Aurora's cutting-edge work has been supported with funding from NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

+ Go To Full Article

Additional Information:
PDF Chart: http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2010/Slides/PS/Aurora.pdf
Company: http://www.aurora.aero

 

[XJEEPER]

The original images we've been seeing are from the lower fidelity hazard cameras near each corner of the rover. Now that the main scientific mast is up, some nicer images are coming in!

Browse them all for yourself, here:
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/

I think I can see the KOH course, off in the distance.........

 

[tbburg]

That would truly be the "King of the Hammers"

First obstacle: Carry enough fuel for an extended run(in excess of one year) No refueling allowed.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

It has a 2mp camera. There isn't even a camera phone sold anymore with a camera that crappy.

it also left earth 10 years ago, how nice was your cellphone camera 10 years ago?

 

[tbburg]

it also left earth 10 years ago, how nice was your cellphone camera 10 years ago?

Oh, now why do you want to go and bring reality into the discussion?

 

[kndrewa]

It actually only took the Mars Science Laboratory with Curiosity onboard 7 or 8 months to get there. Here's a great video explaining it, from NASA:

NASA's Jet Propulsion Labratory explains transit to Mars

 

[Beezil]

 

[hubs97xj]

 

[bjoehandley]

Hahahahahahahaha, those tweets are fantastic!

 

[kndrewa]

Check this out, pretty incredible it comes from another planet and was taken only a day or three ago.

 

[Frank Z]

http://www.bestofvids.com/video/the-top-five-coolest-things-about-curiosity/

 

[GrimmJeeper]

curiosity literally killed the cat (stolen from Phil's fb page :eyes

 

[kndrewa]

Full resolution Descent to Mars, as seen by Curiosity!

 

[bigalpha]

That's awesome. I wish there was video of the lowering of the MSL.