Curiosity has landed

[iOWNme]

Curiosity is the name given to the recent NASA Rover that just landed on the Martian soil. This is actually pretty amazing how they did it. The last Rover was a small robotic mini car with a good amount of Sci-Tech for exploring. It was solar powered, like its predecessor. It was put into a balloon like structure that literally bounced its way to a safe landing. Once stopped, the door opened, and the rover was able to drive out.

But this newer Rover is the size of a small car, has a full laboratory on board and is fitted with HD cameras. This one is nuclear powered! It parachuted down into the thin martian atmosphere at more than 13,000 miles and hour. Then a pod opened up, and a smaller booster ship with the rover attached to it used rocket boosters to slow down, once close enough the smaller booster ship lowered the Rover down with cables and landed at 2mph. Simply AMAZING.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9hXqzkH7YA&feature=g-trend


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4boyXQuUIw&feature=endscreen


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1coV7XqE1M&feature=related



But since i am a conspiracy theorist, maybe this is all faked and filmed in a Hollywood lot?

[chad]

nevada or new mexico.

[Dogman]

nevada or new mexico.

32°59'29.08"N 106°58'33.11"W


or

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&biw=1525&bih=741&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&q=32%C2%B059%2729.08%22N++106%C2%B058%2733.11%22W&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x86df958f4302a145:0xfc4a26556a3b4d8c,%2B32% C2%B0+59%27+4.24%22,+-106%C2%B0+58%27+19.85%22&gl=us&sa=X&ei=G9UhUPzOJaTB2QWfsYGQCw&ved=0CAYQ8gEwAA


;D
(http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&biw=1525&bih=741&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&q=32%C2%B059%2729.08%22N++106%C2%B058%2733.11%22W&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x86df958f4302a145:0xfc4a26556a3b4d8c,%2B32% C2%B0+59%27+4.24%22,+-106%C2%B0+58%27+19.85%22&gl=us&sa=X&ei=G9UhUPzOJaTB2QWfsYGQCw&ved=0CAYQ8gEwAA)

[BrewTech]

It's clear that a brother designed the wheel/tire combination...

[mamboni]

It's clear that a brother designed the wheel/tire combination...

Yeah, the rims give it away. LOL

[jimswift]

It's clear that a brother designed the wheel/tire combination...

"They spinnin nigga, they spinnin!!"

[Gaillo]

This was put on Mars using Geocentric mathematical models... yes? ;D

[JohnQPublic]

This was put on Mars using Geocentric mathematical models... yes? ;D

It very likely could have been launched using a fixed earth coordinate system, and then was transformed to a solar barycentric (i.e., sun centered) for the trip, then finally transformed to a mars-centric for orbit and landing. Ain't engineering grand! Coordinate systems can be transformed at will using computers, and are, and it really does not matter what the underlying truth is.

[iOWNme]

Im surprised nobody has commented on the nuclear power that this rover is using, MMRTG. I had never heard of this type of power using Plutonium. It says it will only have power for 1 Mars year? Even though they used this design on Voyager 1 in 1977, and it is still being powered by the same MMRTG.....

Here is the design of the nuclear powered rover:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Mission_Radioisotope_Thermoelectric_Generator

[JohnQPublic]

Im surprised nobody has commented on the nuclear power that this rover is using, MMRTG. I had never heard of this type of power using Plutonium. It says it will only have power for 1 Mars year? Even though they used this design on Voyager 1 in 1977, and it is still being powered by the same MMRTG.....

Here is the design of the nuclear powered rover:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Mission_Radioisotope_Thermoelectric_Generator

They have been using this for a long time. Basically the plutonium gets hot, and thermoelectric elements (a bunch of thermocouples in series) produce a voltage and current that can be used to power stuff.

[TheNocturnalEgyptian]

Yeah I do not know why they are so conservative on that one particular estimate. Voyager became legendary for how long it lasted.

[DMac]

The plutonium fuel in space probes/craft is really interesting. Like that time we maybe nuked Jupiter.

[sirgonzo420]

The plutonium fuel in space probes/craft is really interesting. Like that time we maybe nuked Jupiter.

Couldn't have happened to a more jovial planet.

[Horn]

This was put on Mars using Geocentric mathematical models... yes? ;D

The rover isn't coming back, it would have to go thru the Sun if wanting to come back here... . ..

[Golden]

ScienceCasts: Where Will Curiosity Go First?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSHDByiYXvg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSHDByiYXvg
Published on Aug 17, 2012 by ScienceAtNASA
Visit http://science.nasa.gov/ for more.

Curiosity is safe on Mars and ready to roll. In this video from Science@NASA, project scientist John Grotzinger discusses where the rover might go first.

[Golden]

Check it out!
Mars Panorama - Curiosity rover
http://www.360cities.net/image/curiosity-mars#52.61,7.59,11.9

NASA's Mars Exploration Program (source images: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems)

With its rover named Curiosity, Mars Science Laboratory mission is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the red planet. Curiosity was designed to assess whether Mars ever had an environment able to support small life forms called microbes. In other words, its mission is to determine the planet's "habitability."

This panorama was released 23.08.2012 and updated 30.08.2012

I have enhanced colors to be corresponded with colors used by NASA:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16105.html

This is very hi-resolution panorama 30000x15000 pixels. I used to stitch it 138 source images (1200x1200px) from the 34-millimeter Mast Camera on NASA's Curiosity rover.

[Horn]

http://www.360cities.net/image/curio...2.61,7.59,11.9 (http://www.360cities.net/image/curiosity-mars#52.61,7.59,11.9)


Cool stuff, Golden.

Is that an atmosphere I see when looking at the Sun, Looks almost the same diameter as is does here?

Checkout the open map feature (on the side bar of your link), someone is already plotting road names there...lol!

Is a picture from New Mexico!

[Twisted Titan]

So now we are leaving nuke waste on other planets?

I hope the Martians don't return the favor and dump nasty stuff here

[Neuro]

So now we are leaving nuke waste on other planets?

I hope the Martians don't return the favor and dump nasty stuff here
It will be a major logistical problem to outdo humanity itself, for instance Fukushima, depleted Uranium in Iraq and Serbia, Chernobyl. Thousands of tons of nuclear waste isn't that easily transported from Mars to earth... ;)

[Twisted Titan]

I agree but no one can say with absolute certainty what are impact to life there is.

I just guessed that they could use the clean tech (the stuff they keep from us at the behest of corporate magnates)

Its not like we would be none the wiser as they could envoke national security status