Philosophy
by
James Dean
August 22nd, 2012
USA TODAY
NASA's Curiosity rover successfully completed its first drive on Mars Wednesday.
"We have a fully functioning mobility system," announced Matt Heverly, an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
The size of a small car, Curiosity rolled forward about 15 feet, rotated its wheels 120 degrees and then rolled backward about 8 feet.
A series of images from rover cameras showed tracks left by its six wheels in firm soil.
"We should have smooth sailing ahead of us," Heverly said.
The images offered a look back at the site where Curiosity landed Aug. 6 (Eastern Time).
Mission managers announced they had named that site Bradbury Landing in honor of science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, whose works include The Martian Chronicles. Bradbury, who died in June, would have turned 92 Wednesday.
The test drive is part of a health checkup the rover has been undergoing since arriving on Aug. 5. Eventually, the rover could roam hundreds of feet a day over the ancient crater where it landed.
Meanwhile, researchers discovered a damaged wind sensor while checking out instruments that Curiosity will use to check the Martian weather and soil.
A second sensor is operating and should do the job.
- Interactive Fully Panoramic Photograph Of Mars Via Curiosity Rover
This may just be the coolest thing you see this week: a high-def 360-degree panoramic image based on photographs taken by the Curiosity rover in Mars. And as if that weren't awesome enough, if you view this image through your mobile device, the gyroscope...
- Do I Smell A Challenge In The Streets Of Dodge City?
Ole "Dead Eye" Curiosity honing its skills. How soon will it be before toy companies market the goodies. WOW, NASA will make millions on royalties. "Before-and-After Photos: Curiosity’s Laser Burns Holes in Martian Rock" by Adam Mann ...
- Soon..."curiosity" Will Be "up, Up, And Away" Towards Mars...november 25th, 2011
"NASA: New Mars rover will look for the ingredients of life" November 10th, 2011 Los Angeles Times If you think that people who believe in the possibility of extraterrestrial life are kooks, you probably haven't talked to a NASA space scientist...
- "curiosity" To Land In Mars' Gale Crater
"Mars rover aims for deep crater" by Jonathan Amos July 22nd, 2011 BBC News Nasa's next Mars rover will be aimed at one of the planet's deepest craters. MSL-Curiosity weighs almost a tonne and is the size of a Mini Cooper. It will carry instruments...
- "curiosity"--clara Ma Names Next Mars Rover
Winner number two in the metropolis. On May 28th Kavya Shivashankar from Olathe, Kansas won first place in the Scripps' National Spelling Bee Contest and today NASA announced the Mars Science Laboratory naming contest winner...Clara Ma from Lenexa,...
Philosophy
Go Curiosity, goooooooooo
"Rover takes its first spin on Mars"
by
James Dean
August 22nd, 2012
USA TODAY
NASA's Curiosity rover successfully completed its first drive on Mars Wednesday.
"We have a fully functioning mobility system," announced Matt Heverly, an engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
The size of a small car, Curiosity rolled forward about 15 feet, rotated its wheels 120 degrees and then rolled backward about 8 feet.
A series of images from rover cameras showed tracks left by its six wheels in firm soil.
"We should have smooth sailing ahead of us," Heverly said.
The images offered a look back at the site where Curiosity landed Aug. 6 (Eastern Time).
Mission managers announced they had named that site Bradbury Landing in honor of science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, whose works include The Martian Chronicles. Bradbury, who died in June, would have turned 92 Wednesday.
The test drive is part of a health checkup the rover has been undergoing since arriving on Aug. 5. Eventually, the rover could roam hundreds of feet a day over the ancient crater where it landed.
Meanwhile, researchers discovered a damaged wind sensor while checking out instruments that Curiosity will use to check the Martian weather and soil.
A second sensor is operating and should do the job.
- Interactive Fully Panoramic Photograph Of Mars Via Curiosity Rover
This may just be the coolest thing you see this week: a high-def 360-degree panoramic image based on photographs taken by the Curiosity rover in Mars. And as if that weren't awesome enough, if you view this image through your mobile device, the gyroscope...
- Do I Smell A Challenge In The Streets Of Dodge City?
Ole "Dead Eye" Curiosity honing its skills. How soon will it be before toy companies market the goodies. WOW, NASA will make millions on royalties. "Before-and-After Photos: Curiosity’s Laser Burns Holes in Martian Rock" by Adam Mann ...
- Soon..."curiosity" Will Be "up, Up, And Away" Towards Mars...november 25th, 2011
"NASA: New Mars rover will look for the ingredients of life" November 10th, 2011 Los Angeles Times If you think that people who believe in the possibility of extraterrestrial life are kooks, you probably haven't talked to a NASA space scientist...
- "curiosity" To Land In Mars' Gale Crater
"Mars rover aims for deep crater" by Jonathan Amos July 22nd, 2011 BBC News Nasa's next Mars rover will be aimed at one of the planet's deepest craters. MSL-Curiosity weighs almost a tonne and is the size of a Mini Cooper. It will carry instruments...
- "curiosity"--clara Ma Names Next Mars Rover
Winner number two in the metropolis. On May 28th Kavya Shivashankar from Olathe, Kansas won first place in the Scripps' National Spelling Bee Contest and today NASA announced the Mars Science Laboratory naming contest winner...Clara Ma from Lenexa,...