Updates Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity)

[Keatah]

Possible that Oppy would outlive MSL? Oppy has a powersource with unlimited life. MSL does not. MSL's days have been numbered since it was put together!

 

[Screamer7]

Here is a detail photo of the location of Curiosity, the parachute system, heat shield and Sky Crane.
They were spotted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
The Sky Crane does not look that good.
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674239main_PIA16001-full_full.jpg
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/674163main_pia15999-43_946-710.jpg

 

[Keatah]

Furthermore has anyone tried to contact Spirit recently? Stranger things have happened!

And it was reported that Sojourner has been wandering around Pathfinder for quite some time after the lander itself kicked the bucket. Could this one still be doing something too?

 

[SolarLiner]

He paraded up and down the aisle like a father waiting for his first born child.

He wait now for his first child to born, in 3 months, as he said in the press conference post-land. Two babies in 3 months, what an ultimate father dream !

I'm building a summary, a review of the landing, actually it renders the video.

 

[Mattyv]

Picture of the landing site.

 

[N_Molson]

The skycrane crashed the proper way, see those black debris ejecta !

 

[Cairan]

He wait now for his first child to born, in 3 months, as he said in the press conference post-land. Two babies in 3 months, what an ultimate father dream !

I'm building a summary, a review of the landing, actually it renders the video.

No, he's awaiting his --second-- child in 3 --weeks-- not months.

And his wife was in a nearby building ... you know, in case...

 

[Pyroka]

The area around Curiosity seems darker than the surrounding area. Lighter surface material getting blown away by the skycrane?

 

[Keatah]

mohawk guy more important than the rover - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/06/bobak-ferdowsi-nasa_n_1749652.html#slide=1339795

 

[Screamer7]

I wish there was a scale measurement on that amazing maps.
I want to know how far the sky crane crashed from Curiosity.

 

[Ripley]

Me too. And how big is Gale.

 

[Screamer7]

Got the measurements from news conference day 2.
MSL to sky crane +- 650 m
MSL to parachute and backplate +- 615 m
MSL to heatshield +- 1200m

 

[MattBaker]

Me too. And how big is Gale.

According to NASA its 154 kilometers in diameter.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Hello! Good to see your head now up straight. :hello:

 

[Ripley]

According to NASA its 154 kilometers in diameter.

Thanks, I knew it was that large.
I realize I didn't word my previous post well enough...

I meant how big Gale was with relation to that picture (now I can figure it out).
I thought relative distances among the different MSL elements were much bigger and since I first saw that picture from a mobile, scale wasn't clear...

Time for the second morning coffee, I guess...

 

[IronRain]

Gale Crater:

 

[N_Molson]

Splendid ! Is that some kind of haze at the feet of the mountains (well, rather the crater's edges) ?

 

[Codz]

Amazing. I'd love to see what sort of images come about when the primary color camera is available.

 

[RGClark]

Was just watching This Week at NASA this morning. I was interested in how the voice over describing the Curiosity landing phrased the life on Mars question. It said Curiosity will try to determine if the conditions are right for microbial life to exist on Mars.
It was notable to me this was phrased in the present tense, not for microbial life to have existed on Mars. Since Viking with the general consensus that the current life on Mars question was answered in the negative, usually NASA missions were described as only determining if life could have existed in the past on Mars, not the present.
On NASA360 today as well the NASA scientist interviewed Dr. Bruce Jakosky described Curiosity as determining if conditions are right for life to exist on Mars, present tense.

Bob Clark

 

[Mattyv]

The landing site looks so desolate. Other than the mountains, it kind of looks like Phoenix's landing site.