[VipInoLo]

Bummer.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-1...-burns/4190494

Just watched the video ..... yeah quite a shame.
It looked good for the first couple of seconds then toppled.

[bortycuz]

you've been reading zubrin erb.

i agree, pointless to spend at that time getting there and back and not landing. plus i wouldn't do an asteroid landing first either. go straight to mars.

Agreed.
We've got the technology, we just lack the strong desire to do it. (and the money for pretty much any country to do it right now unfortunately)

[anderriter]

One thing about NASA - they can do 'crash and burn' like just about nobody else.

Anyway, as they say: they learn to build spacecraft that work by building spacecraft that don't work.

[CindyLavender]

> When are we going to start seeing the hi-res full-colour photos from Curiosity?

Tonight at 3am I think. Consider firstly that there are three types of cameras. Two HAZMAT hazard avoidance cameras are intrinsically low resolution. MARDI downward looking camera comes in low and high resolution modes. And Mastcam also comes in low (144 * 144) and high resolution. We have some high resolution MARDI, but they're not nearly as high resolution as Mastcam will produce.

The hold-up with high resolution images from Mastcam has been the time taken to deploy the high gain antenna, can't do everything at once. That was being deployed yesterday so we should see stunningly high resolution images at the 3am Curiosity press conference on NASA TV.

I've been posting images as they arrive, on Page 2 of http://www.abcforums.com/showthread.php?1416-Mars-Rover. You'll see some images there that you won't see anywhere else. Direct link to my Photobucket site to higher resolution. http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o...Paterson/SSSF/

[PapsEdisa]

Thanks, Moll.

[EntectCelpelm]

> they learn to build spacecraft that work by building spacecraft that don't work.

Russia has 13 failed probes in its exploration of Mars program didn't it? And 2 successful ones.

[rowneigerie]

DAWN at Vesta is also still coming up with great results, including mineral analysis and internal density. See picture gallery on http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/...wn_gallery.asp



In the above, the left image is white light topography. The middle is mineral composition (I would guess blue/purple is diogenite grading towards yellow eucrite). The right is a combination of topography and mineral composition.

Below is a feature called the "snowman".



I include that before the following movie includes a fly-over of the largest crater of the snowman.

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/...tOverVesta.mov

The internal structure of Vesta is now known.

http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/..._structure.asp

Also look out for the gravity anomaly maps.

[HottBrorb]

Excellent photo of the surface and one of the wheels on the rover.

[Cvo1iRT0]

This rover is so vain, taking pics of itself all the time. *waits for pic of rover in front of mirror holding phone*

[Piediahef]

I've touched the metal that was used in the fabrication of those wheels. It's okay...no applause necessary.

[ggiifdfalls]

This rover is so vain, taking pics of itself all the time. *waits for pic of rover in front of mirror holding phone*

I know I shouldn't really be surprised, but the ground looks so Earth-like.

[KhJOHbTM]

I've touched the metal that was used in the fabrication of those wheels. It's okay...no applause necessary.

Really? Tell us the story ..... !
(And do you see your fingerprint on the wheel on Mars?)

[anfuckinggs]

I know I shouldn't really be surprised, but the ground looks so Earth-like.

I suppose sand and rocks are universal.

[Flatlytaize]

I suppose sand and rocks are universal.

Crazy talk!

But yes, quite a reasonable theory.

[mitiaycatq]

Really? Tell us the story ..... !
(And do you see your fingerprint on the wheel on Mars?)

Some guys we know run a waterjet cutting place - the local NASA asked them to cut some stuff. We helped unload it. I touched it.

[replrobin]

Some guys we know run a waterjet cutting place - the local NASA asked them to cut some stuff. We helped unload it. I touched it.

Coolies.

[banditorfv]

Some guys we know run a waterjet cutting place - the local NASA asked them to cut some stuff. We helped unload it. I touched it.

Oooooooh
Aaaaaaaaaah

That's really cool

[qzgCVHex]

Excellent photo of the surface and one of the wheels on the rover.

Looks like the Pilbara

[ljq0AYOV]

With all these photos, cue conspiracy theorists spending years trawling photos looking for anything remote alien like.

[Nundduedola]

A quite spectacular time-delay of the night sky.

http://vimeo.com/24253126