YAY CURIOSITY THREAD

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http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/images/?ImageID=4282

Curiosity's Descent

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/08/06/video-of-curiositys-descent-from-the-rover-cam-itself/

[Ryuken]

C'moooon...we know they just dropped an RC car off in the Middle East in a sandstorm...



Also, you have to change the title of your post to past tense now hehe.

Also also, pretty fantastic stuff.

[Sprinks]

Also also, pretty fantastic stuff.

This. Really amazing, and the images are a little mind-blowing.

[Davaro]

Until it starts to use it's death ray on innocent Martians, Curiosity is dead to me!

[Ashenshugar]

[Goibhnie]

You know, when I saw the picture of one of the scientists standing beside curiosity and saw the actual size of it by comparison, it makes this feat, to m,e that much more awesome and impressive.

I'm pretty surprised that Chroner hasn't been all over us with NASA stuff as well.  Where are you sir!?

I'm waiting for the images to start beaming back from the inside of the sandworm that is going to come up and gobble it up.

[Meepichi]

Yup this is certainly amazing.  I used to try to keep track of all the big space missions but have been very lax the last several years or so and didn't even know about Curiosity until the other day!  I really enjoyed the documentary on the 1st two rovers and look forward to what this one can do.

[Norb]

Yup this is certainly amazing.  I used to try to keep track of all the big space missions but have been very lax the last several years or so and didn't even know about Curiosity until the other day!  I really enjoyed the documentary on the 1st two rovers and look forward to what this one can do.

/it's a little dusty in here

[Ryuken]

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http://youtu.be/ec1KNoDly14?hd=1

[Ashenshugar]

[Davaro]

That map fails to mark the obvious Martians coming to say Hi.

[Ryuken]

It also fails to mark the large alien cocoon top center which may also be a giant fossilized Mars clam.

[Norb]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/08/08/scientists-struck-by-craters-resemblance-to-mojave-as-rover-sends-best-view-yet-of-mars/


High res (4372 x 1220) pic

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Stitched version.


(click to embiggen)

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(click to embiggen)

Note: If you don't find this picture insanely awesome, there is something wrong with you.  Report to the Norb Reeducation Center.

[Goibhnie]

So where are they putting the teleportation pad?

And for them saying it is dusty there, curiosity is a lot cleaner than my house.

[Zaxxis]

It also fails to mark the large alien cocoon top center which may also be a giant fossilized Mars clam.

It's where Monster Zero lives, duh!

[Kaivic]

[Chroner]

I'm pretty surprised that Chroner hasn't been all over us with NASA stuff as well.  Where are you sir!?

Heh, sorry, i've been busy =p

I don't have much more info on MSL than you guys do.  LaRC did support some of the EDL analysis for MSL but that's not my area of expertise.  I supported some seperation analysis back before the initial launch slip in '09 but haven't touched it since.  If you're looking for info the best (and most consolidated) source is the website that JPL has setup.  I didn't see anyone link the Seven Minutes of Terror video, but I'm sure you all have seen it.

As for upcoming missions, the next favorable window for Mars is late in 2013 (the windows are ~2 years apart).  NASA recently had to pull out of the joint mission with ESA that has been on and off for years for budget reasons but that wouldn't have been for the next window anyway (likely closer to 2016 time frame).  You can read abit about it here but a quick google search will get you plenty.  If you want to read about the next planned Mars mission, take a look over here, MAVEN.  MAVEN is an orbiter (like MRO and Odyssey) rather than a rover (like MERs, Phoenix, MSL) that will study the Martian atmosphere.  If the schedule holds, MAVEN will launch November of next year and insert into Martian orbit just over 2 years from now.  It won't be a process nearly as thrilling as the MSL landing.  There will be no monstrously huge parachute, no rocket powered sky crane, just a standard hydrazine powered rocket used to insert into an elliptical orbit (isn't it awesome that can be described as 'standard'? ).

Before then, NASA will be launching a few smaller LEO missions like IRIS and LADEE.  I'm sure there will be other demo missions as well (DSX), but I haven't heard anything.  Of course there will be plenty of non-NASA launches from DoD (air force, NRO, etc.) as well.  I'm pretty sure there will be at least one launch of the air force OTV next year, but I could be wrong.

Last year NASA announced the selection of the next New Frontiers mission OSIRIS-ReX.  It will fly to an asteroid, collect samples, and return them to Earth.  No small feat at all.  The previous New Frontiers missions were New Horizons which is on its way to Pluto, and JUNO which launched a few months before Curiosity and is headed for Jupiter.  OSRIS-ReX is planned to launch in Sept. 2016, so mark your calendars heh.

Is that satisfactory Goib?