╌>

Mars Rover Perseverance Lands On Red Planet And Starts Sending Images : NPR

  

Category:  News & Politics

Via:  sandy-2021492  •  3 years ago  •  96 comments

By:   NPR. org

Mars Rover Perseverance Lands On Red Planet And Starts Sending Images : NPR
Perseverance landed safely on the red planet on Thursday, immediately getting to work with a first photo of the rover's "forever home."

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T


Scott Neuman

Twitter vanessaromo_sq-c63578a4869215f8a361fbab54b5f11fd7b81130-s100-c85.jpg

Vanessa Romo

NASA

Updated at 4:48 p.m. ET

It's been a long journey for Perseverance, NASA's latest Mars rover, which landed safely on the red planet at 3:55 p.m. ET.

"I'm safe on Mars," the rover announced on Twitter upon its arrival. "Perseverance will get you anywhere."


I'm safe on Mars. Perseverance will get you anywhere.
#CountdownToMars

— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 18, 2021

Perseverance, a six-wheeled, SUV-sized vehicle with the most sophisticated robotic astrobiology lab ever launched and an experimental aerial drone aboard, is at the heart of the Mars 2020 mission. It blasted off in July on a 293-million-mile journey. And immediately got to work, taking a photo of its "forever home."


Hello, world. My first look at my forever home. #CountdownToMarspic.twitter.com/dkM9jE9I6X
— NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover (@NASAPersevere) February 18, 2021

ap_21037752656979_sq-1091f75a8fd527be06d90b5a5e95b7182b546c1d-s100-c15.jpg

Space


Chinese Probe Enters Mars Orbit With Plan For May Landing


The rover isstarting its mission, exploring an ancient crater lake for signs of past life or in pieces strewn across the Martian landscape. The landing site is Jezero Crater where scientists think there was a lake 3.5 billion years ago. If there were microbes in the lake, they might have left signatures in the rocks in the crater that the rover can detect.

Seven minutes of terror

Success hinged on a nail-biting "seven minutes of terror" entry, descent and landing, or EDL, sequence that was completed flawlessly and without intervention from Earth-bound engineers. Because Mars is so far away, it takes 11 minutes for signals to reach NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, where the mission is managed. That meant that by the time engineers got a message from the spacecraft that EDL had begun, Perseverance was already on the ground — intact.

The atmosphere of Mars is a tiny fraction of Earth's — too thin to offer much in the way of a brake for a spacecraft on a speeding descent but thick enough to burn it up if something goes wrong. Many previous soft landing attempts on the planet have failed.

"Mars is hard, and we never take success for granted," Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science, said at a recent online media briefing.

The landing sequence for Perseverance is essentially the same high-wire act that a previous rover, Curiosity, used to land in 2012. But for their latest performance, scientists have chosen a more challenging spot on which to set down. Jezero Crater on the western edge of Isidis Planitia is a rougher patch. Unlike Curiosity, Perseverance will use something called Terrain Relative Navigation to find a good spot and steer itself in for a touchdown.

"So, while it's descending on the parachute, it will actually be taking images of the surface of Mars and determining where to go based on what it sees," says Swati Mohan, who is in charge of guidance, navigation and control for the spacecraft.

Jezero Crater

The now dry and dusty 28-mile-wide Jezero Crater shows unmistakable signs of having been filled with liquid water billions of years ago. Perseverance is set to land near an ancient river delta that once flowed into the basin.

Jezero was chosen from among 60 candidate landing sites after an extensive five-year study to weigh the merits of each location, according to NASA.

"In Jezero, we have one of the most beautifully preserved delta deposits on Mars in that crater," Katie Stack Morgan, the deputy project scientist for the mission, explains.

Perseverance Project scientist Ken Farley says that billions of years ago, it would have been an ideal place for microorganisms to have lived, "and it is also a wonderful place for those microorganisms to be preserved so that we can find them now."

YouTube

Ingenuity and other new gadgets

Although Perseverance superficially looks a lot like its predecessor, Curiosity, it's carrying a bevy of new scientific instruments. They include a better drill to take surface core samples, higher-resolution cameras, instruments to look at Martian mineralogy and detect organic compounds, ground-penetrating radar, a sort of Mars weather station and even microphones that will let earthlings hear what it sounds like on Mars for the first time.

But all the buzz is about the Mars Helicopter, known as Ingenuity. NASA is calling it a "technology demonstration." If successful, it will be the first powered flight on another world.

Despite the red planet's wispy atmosphere, engineers hope that Ingenuity's 4-foot rotors, spinning five times faster than the blades of a helicopter on Earth, coupled with the low Martian gravity, will help get it off the ground.

Like the first powered flight on Earth, Ingenuity's first flight, scheduled for the spring, will be short and close to the ground. If all goes well, a series of progressively more ambitious flights are planned over a 30-Martian-day period (just a little longer than on Earth).

"The Ingenuity Helicopter is considered a high-risk, high-reward technology demonstration," NASA says. "If the small craft encounters difficulties, the science-gathering of the Mars 2020 mission won't be impacted. If the helicopter does take flight as designed, future Mars missions could enlist second-generation helicopters to add an aerial dimension to their explorations."


Tags

jrDiscussion - desc
[]
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1  seeder  sandy-2021492    3 years ago
Success hinged on a nail-biting "seven minutes of terror" entry, descent and landing, or EDL, sequence that was completed flawlessly and without intervention from Earth-bound engineers. Because Mars is so far away, it takes 11 minutes for signals to reach NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, where the mission is managed. That meant that by the time engineers got a message from the spacecraft that EDL had begun, Perseverance was already on the ground — intact.

The atmosphere of Mars is a tiny fraction of Earth's — too thin to offer much in the way of a brake for a spacecraft on a speeding descent but thick enough to burn it up if something goes wrong. Many previous soft landing attempts on the planet have failed.
 
 
 
devangelical
Professor Principal
1.1  devangelical  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1    3 years ago

cool. I love this kind of stuff.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.1.1  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  devangelical @1.1    3 years ago

Same here.

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.1.2  Gordy327  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.1.1    3 years ago

Things like this is why science and science education should be promoted, supported, and cheered.

 
 
 
Ed-NavDoc
Professor Quiet
1.1.3  Ed-NavDoc  replied to  devangelical @1.1    3 years ago

Likewise. I'm waiting to see what the helicopter does and the photos from it 

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
1.1.4  cjcold  replied to  devangelical @1.1    3 years ago

Am currently watching NOVA regarding this mission. Fascinating! 

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.1.5  Gordy327  replied to  cjcold @1.1.4    3 years ago

I'm tempted to rewatch Cosmos with Dr. Tyson hosting.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
1.1.6  cjcold  replied to  Gordy327 @1.1.5    3 years ago

Never missed an episode. Loved his mentor Carl Sagan as well. 

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.1.7  Gordy327  replied to  cjcold @1.1.6    3 years ago
Never missed an episode.

Neither did I. It was an awesome series.

Loved his mentor Carl Sagan as well. 

Both have an infectious love of science and are good at explaining/teaching it. I could listen to Dr. Tyson talking about science all day. He does have some symposium lectures posted on Youtube. He knows how to reach an audience.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
1.1.8  cjcold  replied to  Gordy327 @1.1.7    3 years ago

He definitely knows how to convey his passion for science.

Also watched Mr. Wizard and Bill Nye the Science Guy. 

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.1.9  Gordy327  replied to  cjcold @1.1.8    3 years ago
He definitely knows how to convey his passion for science.

That's what makes it infectious. 

Also watched Mr. Wizard and Bill Nye the Science Guy. 

What about Professor Proton? jrSmiley_9_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
FLYNAVY1
Professor Guide
1.2  FLYNAVY1  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1    3 years ago

Wait a minute..... Isn't Mars flat just like the Earth...?   

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
1.2.1  Tacos!  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @1.2    3 years ago
Isn't Mars flat just like the Earth...?

Apparently not. Because - and this really happened - the Flat Earth Society say Mars has been observed to be round, but earth has not (that's Science, friends!). And yes, that was the Elon Musk trolling them.

original

So now, you can get the t-shirt. Because of course you can.

il_570xN.1903517460_e3ba.jpg

Also, there is a Twitter page .

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.2.2  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  FLYNAVY1 @1.2    3 years ago

That's probably why some landing attempts have failed.  They misjudged the edge.

 
 
 
cjcold
Professor Quiet
1.2.3  cjcold  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.2.2    3 years ago

It's a matter of perspective. All heavenly bodies look round from a distance.

It takes getting up close to see the actual geography.

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.2.4  Gordy327  replied to  Tacos! @1.2.1    3 years ago
the Flat Earth Society say Mars has been observed to be round, but earth has not (that's Science, friends!). Also, there is a Twitter page . So now, you can get the t-shirt. Because of course you can.

jrSmiley_78_smiley_image.gif Good lord, what is wrong with people?

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.2.5  Gordy327  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.2.2    3 years ago
That's probably why some landing attempts have failed.

Some landings failed due to either computational errors or equipment failure. I remember reading about 1 probe that missed Mars because the calculation mathematical units were in standard rather than metric.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.2.6  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  Gordy327 @1.2.5    3 years ago
I remember reading about 1 probe that missed Mars because the calculation mathematical units were in standard rather than metric.

I remember face-palming over that one.  What in the world were NASA scientists doing using the English system as opposed to metric?  They made a laughingstock of themselves, and spent a ton of money (metric ton, of course) doing it.

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.2.7  Gordy327  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.2.6    3 years ago
What in the world were NASA scientists doing using the English system as opposed to metric? 

That was a big goof. I think it was the Mars Climate Orbiter. Basically, it was human error.

They made a laughingstock of themselves, and spent a ton of money (metric ton, of course) doing it.

Yeah, but I think they have redeemed themselves in recent years. To be fair, designing, building, mathematically calculating planet position, launch windows, travelling distance, communication delay times, and orbital trajectory, to say nothing of deorbit and actual safe landing is no easy task. So we can't be too harsh when a probe mission fails.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.2.8  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  Gordy327 @1.2.7    3 years ago
no easy task

No, but it's made a lot harder by using an antiquated system of measurement.

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.2.9  Gordy327  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.2.8    3 years ago
No, but it's made a lot harder by using an antiquated system of measurement.

This is true. It probably doesn't help that our country generally uses said antiquated system or that we're generally taught and are familiar with it more over metrics. That reminds me of the original Star Trek series. They occasionally used standard measurements rather than metric. You would think a futuristic space faring society would adopt the metric system. It just shows how much the standard system permeates society and thinking.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
1.2.10  Bob Nelson  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.2.8    3 years ago

What amuses me is that all the English units are legally defined by metric units.

An inch is, by law, exactly 25.4 millimeters.

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
1.2.11  Dig  replied to  Gordy327 @1.2.9    3 years ago
You would think a futuristic space faring society would adopt the metric system.

Why? Measurement schemes are arbitrary.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the metric system. I'll take the fractional imperial system any day of the week. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a single thing that I prefer metric for.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.2.12  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  Dig @1.2.11    3 years ago

Easier math, for one thing.  And easier collaboration with other scientists who use the metric system exclusively.

 
 
 
MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka)
Junior Guide
1.2.13  MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka)  replied to  cjcold @1.2.3    3 years ago
All heavenly bodies look round from a distance. It takes getting up close to see the actual geography.

What if it's still round upon closer inspection?

I know what that means...

"I'm DEAD SEXY." jrSmiley_86_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.2.14  Gordy327  replied to  Dig @1.2.11    3 years ago
Why? Measurement schemes are arbitrary.

Not really. The metric system makes more sense. There's a reason why it's generally used in science and medicine.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the metric system.

I suspect most people are not either. But I chalk that up to being taught the standard system and lack of promotion of metrics outside of science. People are just not used to it.

 
 
 
evilone
Professor Guide
1.2.15  evilone  replied to  Dig @1.2.11    3 years ago

The metric system is so easy to work with. Fractions are a pain in the ass compared to moving a decimal point.

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
1.2.16  Gordy327  replied to  evilone @1.2.15    3 years ago

Or converting decimals to fractions and vice versa.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.2.17  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  evilone @1.2.15    3 years ago

Yup.  Much easier to deal with multiples of 10 than multiples of 3 and 12 and fractions of 1/16th.

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
1.2.18  Dig  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.2.12    3 years ago
Easier math, for one thing.

The math is exactly the same. You can use decimals, exponents, and fractions for either set of units.

I just think the metric units suck for everyday use — kilometers instead of miles; KPH instead of MPH; liters instead of gallons; hectares instead of acres; a person being 1.8 meters tall instead of 6ft., or weighing 81.6 kilos instead of 180 lbs.

Metric units are mostly gibberish to me, except for the smaller ones like centimeters, millimeters, and microns. The world of the very small is dominated by metric units, and I don't mind that at all. I know it's just a matter of familiarity, giving the units meaning. They can keep the rest of them, though. Not interested. I like my imperial units just fine, thank you.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.2.19  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  Dig @1.2.18    3 years ago

I can't say that I ever use fractions at all when doing calculations in the metric system.  I might say "a millimeter and a half" in casual conversation, but I write "1.5 mm".  I use fractions when using the imperial system, but the math is harder then - no pushing decimals back and forth.  I can do the math, but it takes longer, and there's a lot more changing back and forth between fractions and decimals.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
1.2.20  Bob Nelson  replied to  Dig @1.2.18    3 years ago
Metric units are mostly gibberish to me...

I grew up with inches, and then spent four decades almost exclusively in metric. Now I'm bilingual.

My wife broke out laughing at a socket-wrench set, with sockets like 15/16". 

It's a question of what you're accustomed to.

Objectively, Fahrenheit is silly. 32° for freezing is not very obvious. 0° is obvious. 212° for boiling?? Seriously? It's 100° in a reasonable system.

5280 feet in a mile?? WTF? 

Before I went to Europe, all those crazy units were natural for me, because I grew up with them. Now... not so much.

But it's not a big deal... unless you forget to convert...

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
1.2.21  Dig  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.2.19    3 years ago

The units are the only difference. There's no separate math for metric units. An equation using kilograms, meters, or kilometers per second (for example) is calculated just as easily with pounds, feet, or miles per second. It's the exact same math. Fractions don't even have to be used.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.2.22  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  Dig @1.2.21    3 years ago

If I'm given a measurement in feet and inches, and need to do math with it, I either have to convert it to fractions, then back to feet and inches, or keep track of how many inches I have, and divide by 12, and keep track of the remainder.

If I'm given a measurement in centimeters, I just add them up.  If I need to convert the centimeters into meters, I move a decimal point.  

I can do either, but it's a lot quicker to move decimal points.

And when doing complex math, as in for planning a mission to Mars, adding more steps to the math, introduces more opportunities to err.

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
1.2.23  Dig  replied to  Bob Nelson @1.2.20    3 years ago
Objectively, Fahrenheit is silly. 32° for freezing is not very obvious. 0° is obvious. 212° for boiling?? Seriously? It's 100° in a reasonable system.

Fahrenheit is silly? Celsius is a 'reasonable' system? Your definition of objectivity must be different than mine. The Fahrenheit scale has a higher resolution, and conveys more accurate information in things like weather reports than C does (where temps are generally expressed in whole numbers).

The freezing and boiling points of a particular liquid at sea level with 1 atmosphere of pressure are arbitrary markers that don't even apply to most people on the planet. Water does not boil at 100C in Denver. More like 94.

The same is true of Fahrenheit, of course, but I don't see what makes it any sillier than Celsius. Its higher resolution (in general whole number usage) makes it preferable as far as I'm concerned.

I also like how hitting 100 in Fahrenheit means it's officially frikkin hot. :)

 
 
 
Freewill
Junior Quiet
1.2.24  Freewill  replied to  Dig @1.2.23    3 years ago
Fahrenheit is silly? Celsius is a 'reasonable' system?

My chemistry professor used to say, "Celsius takes temperatures to new Farenheits..." jrSmiley_80_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
1.2.25  Dig  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.2.22    3 years ago

Don't the engineers who benefit from metric units already use them?

That's fine with me as long as we can sill use miles, gallons, pounds, ounces, acres, yards, feet, and inches in our daily lives. :)

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
1.2.26  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  Dig @1.2.25    3 years ago

I use miles when driving, and millimeters when working.

But I think it would be a good idea for the US to convert to metric already, so we don't wait to get kids who might be going into the sciences comfortable with the terminology they'll be using.

 
 
 
Ender
Professor Principal
1.2.27  Ender  replied to  sandy-2021492 @1.2.26    3 years ago

I agree. It would only take one generation.

Old farts like me can just deal.

 
 
 
Freewill
Junior Quiet
1.2.28  Freewill  replied to  Dig @1.2.25    3 years ago
Don't the engineers who benefit from metric units already use them?

Since I'm in the electrical field I enjoy using SI units that are pretty much internationally accepted.  Other than referring to "voltage" as "tension", and using 50Hz rather than 60Hz for the nominal system frequency in Europe and other places, we are all pretty much driving on the same side of the road when it comes to power/electrical terminology.  Some of the symbols they use differ from ours, but the concepts for volts, amps, watts, vars, joules, Hz, ohms, farads, henrys, etc. are all pretty much universal.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
1.2.29  Bob Nelson  replied to  Dig @1.2.23    3 years ago
The Fahrenheit scale has a higher resolution...

How do you figure? The metric system uses decimals. Most digital thermometers show to the tenth of a degree. Lab equipment goes to whatever precision is needed. Simply sliding the decimal. 

But like I said, it mostly depends on what you're accustomed to.

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
1.2.30  Dig  replied to  Bob Nelson @1.2.29    3 years ago
How do you figure?

Nearly twice as many increments between freezing and boiling = higher resolution.

The metric system uses decimals. Most digital thermometers show to the tenth of a degree.

Same with Fahrenheit.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
1.2.31  Bob Nelson  replied to  Dig @1.2.30    3 years ago

never mind

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
1.2.32  Dig  replied to  Bob Nelson @1.2.31    3 years ago

Well, it's true.

And as I said (but you ignored), in general usage whole numbers are used. Meteorologists don't say things like, "We're expecting a high of 54.2345 degrees tomorrow."

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
1.2.33  Bob Nelson  replied to  Dig @1.2.32    3 years ago

whatever

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
1.2.34  Dig  replied to  Bob Nelson @1.2.33    3 years ago

Feelings hurt, Bob?

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
1.2.35  Bob Nelson  replied to  Dig @1.2.34    3 years ago

oh, s-o-o-o badly!

I'm dying...

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
2  Bob Nelson    3 years ago

Wow.

Just... wow!

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
3  Kavika     3 years ago

Is this cool or what.

Love it.

 
 
 
shona1
PhD Quiet
3.1  shona1  replied to  Kavika @3    3 years ago

Go USA...not all doom and gloom over there...look forward to seeing the happy snaps from Mars..has been headlines here...makes a change from the virus..

 
 
 
1stwarrior
Professor Participates
3.2  1stwarrior  replied to  Kavika @3    3 years ago

384

 
 
 
MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka)
Junior Guide
3.2.1  MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka)  replied to  1stwarrior @3.2    3 years ago

jrSmiley_10_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
4  Bob Nelson    3 years ago

 
 
 
Freewill
Junior Quiet
4.1  Freewill  replied to  Bob Nelson @4    3 years ago

Awesome video Bob!

 
 
 
1stwarrior
Professor Participates
4.2  1stwarrior  replied to  Bob Nelson @4    3 years ago

Spent 13 years working Environmental issues (HazMat, NEPA, Cultural/Natural) at Patrick AFB and Cape Canaveral.  Got to see some awesome launches, meet some great astronauts, and see some amazing engineering - yeah, I miss it.

Nice Video Bob.

 
 
 
FLYNAVY1
Professor Guide
4.2.1  FLYNAVY1  replied to  1stwarrior @4.2    3 years ago

I walked along side my Father as he played golf at Patrick during the Gemini Program.  He supervised the calibration lab there at the space center. Meters, torque wrenches.....  If it had to be traceable back to the Bureau of Standards with a calibration sticker, it went through his lab.

Watching night launches from Cocoa Beach were something to remember.   I couldn't imagine what a Saturn V launch would feel like.

 
 
 
TᵢG
Professor Principal
5  TᵢG    3 years ago

NASA Live Feed

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
6  Tacos!    3 years ago

original

I hate to make it sound like I’m down on the project or something, but this is the picture all the hype was building to? I hope that ain’t it. I hope it gets better. Considering the pictures my phone can take, this is kind of embarrassing. The phone I had 20 years ago took better pictures. 

 
 
 
Freewill
Junior Quiet
6.1  Freewill  replied to  Tacos! @6    3 years ago

My understanding is that the first several images came just after it landed and there was still a great deal of dust in the "air" as well as on the equipment and lens.  I'm thinking we will see some MUCH better images from the Perseverance in the coming days and weeks.

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
6.1.1  Tacos!  replied to  Freewill @6.1    3 years ago

I mean, I assume that transmitting sharp, color images probably requires more data to be transmitted, so I’m not expecting great photos the moment it hits the ground. Still, the tiny camera in my phone is so bitchin’, I don’t even look at my SLR anymore (although it can still take a better picture). And at least on Earth, I can share brilliant photos and HD video almost instantly. I know they need to save weight and all that, but how hard would it have been to strap something like an iPhone to this thing?

This picture they’re showing this morning is better. Still, though, not blowing my mind.

original

 
 
 
Freewill
Junior Quiet
6.1.2  Freewill  replied to  Tacos! @6.1.1    3 years ago

I see what looks like a lost key and a cigarette butt just above the wheel in this shot.  Looks like life on Mars is not much different than Earth. jrSmiley_100_smiley_image.jpg

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
6.1.3  Tacos!  replied to  Freewill @6.1.2    3 years ago

Bloody tourists!

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
6.1.4  Gordy327  replied to  Tacos! @6.1.1    3 years ago

I don't know, I think seeing ground level, near real time images from another planet to be mind blowing in itself.

 
 
 
Freewill
Junior Quiet
6.1.5  Freewill  replied to  Gordy327 @6.1.4    3 years ago
I don't know, I think seeing ground level, near real time images from another planet to be mind blowing in itself.

Indeed!  Although in the 11 minutes it takes to transmit that tourist could have smoked that cigarette and flicked the butt to the ground next to his house key and fled the scene.  jrSmiley_82_smiley_image.gif

Also, I'm really looking forward to images from the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter.  That will really be cool!

It would be really cool to see similar images from Europa or other planets/moons in our solar system as well.  I think we might see that in our lifetime....I hope!

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
6.1.6  Tacos!  replied to  Gordy327 @6.1.4    3 years ago

So did I - in the 1970s . Here is a picture from Viking - our first probe to land on Mars:

original

Do the new pictures look 40 years better? They don’t to me.

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
6.1.7  Bob Nelson  replied to  Tacos! @6.1.6    3 years ago

Grinch...

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
6.1.8  Gordy327  replied to  Tacos! @6.1.6    3 years ago

At least we have color images now.  jrSmiley_9_smiley_image.gif

If I remember correctly, the Curiosity rover captured a panoramic view of Mars. That was impressive. Still, it's not just the pictures from another planet that are mind blowing, it's also how we can send probes to (and land on) Mars with increasing frequency and success. We're doing the same with asteroids floating through space too. It's all mind blowing and exciting. Just wait until the first astronauts send their pics from the surface of Mars. Someday.

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
6.1.9  Dig  replied to  Tacos! @6.1.6    3 years ago

Looks like the mast with the good cameras hasn't been deployed yet.

NASA's Perseverance Rover Sends Sneak Peek of Mars Landing

Several pyrotechnic charges are expected to fire later on Friday, releasing Perseverance’s mast (the “head” of the rover) from where it is fixed on the rover’s deck. The Navigation Cameras (Navcams), which are used for driving, share space on the mast with two science cameras: the zoomable Mastcam-Z and a laser instrument called SuperCam. The mast is scheduled to be raised Saturday, Feb. 20, after which the Navcams are expected to take panoramas of the rover’s deck and its surroundings.

That article does have an HD shot of Perseverance hanging in the air just before touchdown:

512

I hope that's just a still from a video of the landing, which is what I'm really wanting to see.

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
6.1.10  Gordy327  replied to  Freewill @6.1.5    3 years ago

I'm looking forward to that too. Especially for the day we take up close pics of Europa and other moons, to say nothing about possibly landing probes on them like we did with Titan.

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
6.1.11  Tacos!  replied to  Gordy327 @6.1.8    3 years ago
Just wait until the first astronauts send their pics from the surface of Mars. Someday.

At the rate we're going, it'll look like this:

0b49d00d89298d9cafdf7656ffa0023d.jpg

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
6.1.12  Tacos!  replied to  Bob Nelson @6.1.7    3 years ago

If I could get a pic of Cindy Lou Who from Mars, my heart would grow three sizes.

973c9077-ee63-494a-8e36-8ef3df4df97f_1140x641.jpg

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
6.1.13  Tacos!  replied to  Dig @6.1.9    3 years ago
Looks like the mast with the good cameras hasn't been deployed yet.

Oh that is interesting. I look forward to that.

You would think that just for public relations, that would be the first thing they'd want to deploy. Good pictures > public enthusiasm > more funding.

 
 
 
Greg Jones
Professor Participates
6.1.14  Greg Jones  replied to  Tacos! @6.1.6    3 years ago

The lens cap was still on. Pics will get better.

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
6.1.15  Dig  replied to  Gordy327 @6.1.10    3 years ago

I just watched a recording of the press conference from yesterday and they said they expect to have the first video ready for release at another press conference on Monday. They should also have the main cameras up and running by then.

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
6.1.16  Gordy327  replied to  Dig @6.1.15    3 years ago

I look forward to it.

 
 
 
Freewill
Junior Quiet
6.1.17  Freewill  replied to  Dig @6.1.9    3 years ago
I hope that's just a still from a video of the landing, which is what I'm really wanting to see.

See my post at comment 9 below.

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
6.1.18  Dig  replied to  Freewill @6.1.17    3 years ago

Thanks. I recorded the press conference today and watched it earlier. Very cool, but it sucks that something messed up and they didn't record any audio of the descent or landing. 

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
6.1.19  Dig  replied to  Dig @6.1.18    3 years ago

If anyone's interested, here's the Perseverance image page from NASA.

There aren't many processed images there yet, but you can click the hamburger icon at the top right and go to the multimedia tab for thousands of non-color-processed shots.

All free to download. One guy at the press conference today was encouraging people to download them to help look around, or to make phone or desktop backgrounds out of them if you want.

The video and audio files are there, too.

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
6.1.20  Gordy327  replied to  Dig @6.1.19    3 years ago
If anyone's interested

Thanks for that. That's really cool. How can anyone not love science?

 
 
 
MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka)
Junior Guide
6.1.21  MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka)  replied to  Tacos! @6.1.1    3 years ago
how hard would it have been to strap something like an iPhone to this thing?

Actually, it would probably prove difficult. The atmosphere [or lack there of] and temp fluctuations and all other known and unknown variables at play, NASA needs to be as cautious as possible and probably has to use materials far superior to what an iPhone uses. The camera is likely designed to photograph as necessary, but nothing beyond necessary.

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
6.1.22  Gordy327  replied to  MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka) @6.1.21    3 years ago
The atmosphere [or lack there of] and temp fluctuations and all other known and unknown variables at play, NASA needs to be as cautious as possible and probably has to use materials far superior to what an iPhone uses.

Extreme temperature fluctuations is certainly a consideration. Mars temp averages -80F in non polar regions. To put that in perspective, water will generally freeze instantly at around -40F. Then there's the constant exposure to solar radiation during transit and after landing on Mars. Power supply is always a concern. Then there's the transition through the martian atmosphere and landing. Rover equipment must be robust enough to function despite all that, and probably more.

 
 
 
Tacos!
Professor Guide
6.1.23  Tacos!  replied to  Greg Jones @6.1.14    3 years ago
The lens cap was still on.

Or the rover had its thumb in front of the lens.

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
6.1.24  Dig  replied to  MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka) @6.1.21    3 years ago
NASA needs to be as cautious as possible and probably has to use materials far superior to what an iPhone uses. The camera is likely designed to photograph as necessary, but nothing beyond necessary.

You'd think, but no. They said that the EDL cameras and microphone were off-the-shelf products that anybody can buy. They were just there for entry, descent and landing, and didn't need to last any longer than that.

The wind recordings on the surface were taken with the EDL mic, so it's still working for the time being, but they don't expect it to last. Luckily, they said the Mastcam-Z camera has another microphone, and that whole assembly was purpose-built for Mars, so it should last a while, hopefully.

 
 
 
Buzz of the Orient
Professor Expert
7  Buzz of the Orient    3 years ago

Back in the early 1950s, reading Sci-Fi journals with stories by Arthur C. Clark, Isaac Aasimov, Ray Bradbury, "Doc" Edward E. Smith, Frank Herbert, etc I could then only imagine what we are seeing happen now.  As I've said so many times now, Art imitates Life is being usurped now by Life imitates Art.  Let's hope it doesn't imitate The Day After Tomorrow these days. 

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
8  Bob Nelson    3 years ago

original

 
 
 
Freewill
Junior Quiet
9  Freewill    3 years ago

Cool video of landing released a few hours ago

 
 
 
Bob Nelson
Professor Guide
9.1  Bob Nelson  replied to  Freewill @9    3 years ago

Ultra-Cool!

 
 
 
MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka)
Junior Guide
10  MsAubrey (aka Ahyoka)    3 years ago

I find this all very fascinating. To me, 11 minutes is pretty damn fast considering the distance. I'm looking forward to seeing what's to come of this journey! What's really awesome is that considering my age, I may very well witness humans landing on Mars! My grannie, born in 1900, died in 1995, witnessed so many fascinating inventions, journeys, and discoveries... it's pretty significant, to me at least, that in a relatively short time, we've made it to Mars.

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
11  seeder  sandy-2021492    3 years ago

154253660_10159207538624257_4965488030855686230_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=3&_nc_sid=825194&_nc_ohc=NkIarUKZbcsAX9L9c_1&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=16604dfe1666de11dd1f5dcb2f1ecb0a&oe=605B21D8

 
 
 
Dig
Professor Participates
11.1  Dig  replied to  sandy-2021492 @11    3 years ago

LOL!

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
11.2  Gordy327  replied to  sandy-2021492 @11    3 years ago

Ok, that's a good one. jrSmiley_86_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Kavika
Professor Principal
11.3  Kavika   replied to  sandy-2021492 @11    3 years ago

Too funny

 
 
 
Greg Jones
Professor Participates
12  Greg Jones    3 years ago

Fascinating, as Spock would say!

 
 
 
Gordy327
Professor Expert
12.1  Gordy327  replied to  Greg Jones @12    3 years ago
Fascinating, as Spock would say!

McCoy [to Spock]: "And please do not say it's fascinating."

Spock: "No. But it is, interesting." 

McCoy: [rolls eyes]

jrSmiley_9_smiley_image.gif

 
 
 
Freewill
Junior Quiet
13  Freewill    3 years ago

512

 
 
 
sandy-2021492
Professor Expert
13.1  seeder  sandy-2021492  replied to  Freewill @13    3 years ago

It's funny cuz it's true.

 
 

Who is online

JBB
Drinker of the Wry


74 visitors