A downward-facing camera mounted beneath the rover, MARDI will image the ground beneath Curiosity as the rover descends to the surface, giving an aerial view of the surrounding region, as well as after the rover touches down.
Like Mastcam, MARDI (also developed by Malin) will store high-definition RGB color images in an internal 8-gigabyte buffer. Many of its first shots are likely to be blurred due to vibration as the rover descends. Even so, MARDI should capture the first-ever video-like sequence of an actual Mars landing, Ravine said.
"We’re looking forward to seeing that," he said.
Data acquired by MARDI will be used to determine exactly where Curiosity has landed, as well as provide an "astronaut’s-eye view" of Mars – although in this case the astronaut has six wheels and weighs 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms).
- Mars Rover Curiosity: Mars Science Lab Coverage
- Huge Mars Robot Armed With Laser, Cameras, Curiosity (Infographic)
- New Mars Rover Powered By Plutonium | Video
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11 Comments
Add Commentwhat is the website to watch this real time?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhere i see this in real time?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHoping that it will not be imaging Mars from 6 feet under the surface.... What a wild ride this promises to be!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHere's the page with the schedule: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/schedule.html
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhile you are waiting for the landing, you can play with NASA's next-generation mission operations software, Mission Control Technologies (MCT). My team at NASA Ames Research Center recently made it free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license! Certified for ISS ops. The demo version can be downloaded and run with no computer knowledge. Search the internet for "NASA open mct". Also check out our blog, which is linked from our web site.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWe have been waiting a long time for this, through several years of delays and Curiosity becoming over weight, over budget, and late for arrival. All that anguish will go away if it lands safely. There was a proposal to land Curiosity a different way called the Skyclimber at the 2007 Mars Society conference this is where you can see the presentation here:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://shineinnovations.com/5512.html
I can't find any reference to audio equipment on board Curiousity. Is there any? If not, why not?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSound gives away many secrets - the sound of a drill into rock to a trained ear will tell you heaps...hardness, composition etc. Sound from Mars will indicate wind speed and direction, planetary creaks and groans, rock falls, wheels churning through sand and most importantly, just like a car, sound is most often the first indication of a mechanical problem.
Now don't get me wrong - I TOTALLY LOVE NASA - but the JPL boffins are more into chemical, mechanical and spectral analysis than they are audio analysis...and given the prevailing theory of the origin of the Universe - that it began with a BIG BANG! Well. What can I say but - Doh!
And a movie without sound tells less than half the story.
C'mon NASA - strap on some ears and listen.
Big Mama Roneck
NY
Live streaming Curiosity :
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl
Dish Network is supposed to show the rover landing on their NASA channel...........channel 286 (at least here in Alaska)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHere's a sweet link to the landing countdown and other information at NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI guess this is one of the best article about Mars futuristic project. I believe this is the really craziest plan of NASA but great job.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.nailoz.com/?p=311