Updates Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity)

[Der Zeitgeist]

Someone from JPL just explained it in a tweet. Hydrazine is best avoided because it could contaminate the instruments for chemical analysis.

 

[palebluevoice]

Don't they use hydrazine as fuel? That thing ignites no matter what. If it's in the hypergolic form, and the components come into contact, there should be an explosion that would disperse the rest of the propellant. If it's the monopropellant thing, it only burns as long as it's in contact with the catalyst elements.

Either way, we're lucky there are no intelligent lifeforms on Mars or they'd be very angry right now...

The microbes could be intelligent!

 

[Keatah]

not necessarily..

 

[garyw]

Someone from JPL just explained it in a tweet. Hydrazine is best avoided because it could contaminate the instruments for chemical analysis.

Interesting. According to a very detailed article on spaceflight101 the descent stage did use hydrazine:

• EDL System Weight: 2,401kg (Rover, Aeroshell, Descent Stage)
  
• Descent Stage Control: Descent Stage/Fly-Away Controller
• Propulsion: 8 MLEs
• Reaction Control: 8 Thrusters
• Propellant: Monomethylhydrazine
• Propellant Mass: 390kg in 4 Tanks
• Propellant Margin: ~90 Kilograms
  
• Navigation: 2 Inertial Measurement Units, 1 Terminal Descent Sensor
• Sky Crane: 3 Bridles - 7.5 meters, 1 Umbilical Cord for data connection
• Sky Crane Break: Electromagnetic
• Electrical System: 2 non-redundant Thermal Batteries - 27-37 Volts
• Pyro Initiation: Two Redundant 26-36V Batteries
• Pyro Power Buses: 2
• Propellant Consumption during Sky Crane: 4 Kilograms per Second
• Configurations: Cruise Configuration; Sky Crane Configuration
• End of Mission: Fly-Away and Ballistic Impact

http://www.spaceflight101.com/msl-landing-special.html

 

[Keatah]

It is said that Mohawk Man was responsible for 20% increase in nasa tv viewership among women, yesterday.

 

[Der Zeitgeist]

Interesting. According to a very detailed article on spaceflight101 the descent stage did use hydrazine:

Yeah, that's what I meant. It is best not to get too close with the rover to avoid getting contaminated instruments.

 

[fraxudemspas]

It is said that Mohawk Man was responsible for 20% increase in nasa tv viewership among women, yesterday.

 

[ADSWNJ]

No, you need three things for an explosion, fuel, ignition source and a sustainer. Mars doesn't have those so it's safe but the fuel itself is toxic. I also suspect that it's only combustible under pressure.

Now there's a thought ... use the laser rock cutter to provide the ignition source. That would mark the first "alpha strike" seek & destroy operation on Mars. Hell - the military would probably throw in a couple of $10b's to see more of that on the next lander !! :lol:

 

[Ripley]

Have you seen this?

Edit: yes you had.

 

[Keatah]

Read about the world-famous dust covers right here -- http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=29612.msg938852#msg938852

 

[DaveS]

The first full resolution HazCam images have been posted: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I have to wonder what Gene Kranz thinks of this haircut. :hmm:

I'm still a bit lagged from being up all night, but WOW! We have rovers (note the plural) on Mars. A car-sized rover with frikkin' lasers even! We dropped a car-sized rover onto the surface via the most Rube Goldberg-esque contraption one ever saw. We had *other orbiting spacecraft* take pictures of the thing arriving on parachutes - a shot that took a lot of math and choreography 14 light-minutes from earth.

Can I just say: WOOHOO! :woohoo:

This is what humankind should be up to, this is what is important.

 

[Keatah]

Agreed! Ultra-WIN for unmanned spaceflight!

---------- Post added at 02:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:36 PM ----------

DOD and Langley AFB used assets to determine exactly where the rover touched down. They knew it with greater precision than the team actually flying it did.

---------- Post added at 03:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:45 PM ----------

Rocker-Bogie - how it works --

 

[orb]

 

[Suzy]

Have you seen this?

NASA page with caption

 

[Mattyv]

I see what was done here!:lol:

This is quite possibly the best pun I have ever seen.

 

[FordPrefect]

On a sidenote: Has anyone seen this cool web applet? Just ignore the pumpkin and those birds... drive Curiosity around Gale crater, near its landing site! With full six wheel suspension, low martian gravity and real NASA/JPL albedo and elevation data. Be careful, you can't climb the too steep slopes, the rover will flip over and disintegrate.
This is too much fun, been already playing it for nearly one hour... and boy o boy, Gale crater is a majestic place! :OMG:

Tip: try to rove uphill slightly to the right of that white booster stage type of column in the distance to the southeast of your starting point. Up there you can find a large valley with absolutely incredible layered huge bedrocks.

go here:
http://www.mannedmissions.com/LastMartianHarvest/LastMartianHarvest.html

 

[Codz]

That photo of the capsule and parachute is fantastic. Even better than the one we got with the previous mission!

 

[Mattyv]

Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons) in Gale Crater:thumbup:

 

[Codz]

MSL got an awesome picture of Aeolis Mons.

EDIT::ninja:'d by Mattyv.:lol: