Updates Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity)

[mojoey]

Kinda...magnificent dont ya think?

 

[T.Neo]

Interesting to compare various Mars landing sites;

Viking 1;

Viking 2;

Mars Pathfinder;

Spirit;

Opportunity;

Phoenix;

 

[Artlav]

Interesting to compare various Mars landing sites;

Yup, same sound stage on Venus.

 

[N_Molson]

Picture of the heat shield being dropped during the descent :

 

[Screamer7]

Wow, the resolution is just amazing!!!

 

[SolarLiner]

Wow, the resolution is just amazing!!!

MARDI has a resolution of 1600x1200.

 

[Screamer7]

I can't wait for the full descend sequence in hi-res.
I think it will be awesome.

 

[N_Molson]

Lots of desktop backgrounds to come :lol:

 

[Unstung]

Can't ever have enough pictures of a martian mountain:

More heat shield:

 

[N_Molson]

BTW, NASA struck again with the acronyms things :

In French, MARDI = Tuesday. Yep, Tuesday.

 

[Codz]

Here's an interesting picture taken of the MSL by MSL. A self portrait of sorts.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Anybody look at the current events and hear the text of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds in their mind, and wonder what an intelligent Martian would perceive these events? :lol:

Alien craft hurtling out of the sky, slowly assembling themselves, and then moving forward sweeping the land with their "heat rays" (laser).

"The <Earthlings> seem to have calculated their descent with amazing subtlety--their mathematical learning is evidently far in excess of ours--and to have carried out their preparations with a well-nigh perfect unanimity."

 

[Andy44]

Anybody look at the current events and hear the text of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds in their mind, and wonder what an intelligent Martian would perceive these events? :lol:

Alien craft hurtling out of the sky, slowly assembling themselves, and then moving forward sweeping the land with their "heat rays" (laser).

"The <Earthlings> seem to have calculated their descent with amazing subtlety--their mathematical learning is evidently far in excess of ours--and to have carried out their preparations with a well-nigh perfect unanimity."

I always think of that episode of Gilligan's Island where a Mars probe accidentally lands on the island just as the castaways accidentally tar and feather themselves, and the NASA crews looking at the images think they are looking at Martians.

 

[Keatah]

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

Yep. And I wonder what kind optical-based experiments can be done with this?

---------- Post added at 02:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:23 AM ----------

Alien craft hurtling out of the sky, slowly assembling themselves, and then moving forward sweeping the land with their "heat rays" (laser).

Yep, War of The Worlds in reverse. And note how the laser comes out the topmost part of the vehicle, just like in the broadcast.

To smaller lifeforms and intelligent bacterial colonies the rover would appear just as such an invader. Perhaps slower moving, especially to bacteria, but nonetheless, the parallels are amazing. Aren't they?

Additionally, all that fog and smoke on the horizon, that would be a good place to look for stuff. AND and.. AND!! They said the lower parts of this crater, right where they landed, is warmer than normal. I have little doubt they will find organic-like stuff on this mission. If not bonafide organisms. Question is, will they announce it and upset the world's religious beliefs?

 

[SolarLiner]

This is the review made for who doesn't saw the landing:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnY84ZKpNyU]MSL Mars Landing - WFStudios Film[/ame]

 

[Keatah]

There's nothing gentle about this rover --

 

[Codz]

Question is, will they announce it and upset the world's religious beliefs?

Scientists announced heliocentrism, evolution, and the spherical Earth model. All of which massively upset religious beliefs. I don't see why NASA would hold that one back. Especially since finding life/evidence for life is a stated goal for almost all interplanetary missions.

 

[N_Molson]

Maybe the intelligent martian... will arise from Curiosity itself. That would be nice science-fiction. :hmm:

 

[fort]

The mouth of the Martians when they will discover that the Terrians are in metal! :huh:

 

[Urwumpe]

here is a higher resolution panorama of Curiosity:

http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meld...noramaaufnahmen-1663717.html?view=zoom;zoom=6