Curiosity Surface Operations

[R.A.F.]

Our own Doug Ellison!

He sure packed a lot of information in just a few minutes...

...and I thought "I" talked fast.



Nicely done, Doug.

[ToSeek]

?? - What are colors?

What camera sent, brightened up a bit. Not balanced. Deliberately underexposed for now.

At what angle did sky crane strike surface?

Could make an eyeball guess, better to ask EDL team tomorrow.

BBC - How big final images?

64 times larger, 8 times better resolution. Gaps in image not in current plan, but this is just the first. Planned last November, before we knew vehicle's position.

Some of these activities were uploaded during the cruise phase. Put less on team that they have to do overnight.

During CAP intermission have some mosaics that can be moved a little bit. Hoping to take some 100mm images.

Space.com - Are there features that stand out in the color shots?

Color and brightness on Mars tend to be closely correlated, so haven't spotted anything that didn't see in B&W images. But I'm trained. Color makes it clear to everybody.

Engineering team: easier to see the dust in color than B&W.

Leo/Irish Television - When will full-resolution panorama be available? How tall is rim?

Just going to get a couple dozen images overnight, rest after FSW update. Giving lecture on how long it takes to get photos back.

Rim only 2 km higher than rover's position.

NASA Watch - Is there JPL app to recognize AR tags on Curiosity? Will it be closed or open?

Several things online, some open source, working on more.

Reuters - When panorama images taken?

Sol 3, 11 pm last night PDT.

What's been checked out?

APXS, NavCam, MastCam, other abbreviations I didn't catch. They've all been checked out but to different levels. More advanced modes still to be looked at.

Discovery News - Why debris on top of rover not anticipated? Any instruments vulnerable? Will it stay there?

EDL team tried to figure out effects of exhaust, didn't expect chunks this big. Either exhaust stronger or chunks lighter. Don't expect any impact, nothing sitting on top of RAD instrument or anywhere else vulnerable. Expect some of them to fall off.

Washington Post - Sending 1000 commands, any anomalies?

1000 represents both preloaded and new stuff, not so many right now but will be later. Not having trouble getting things on board. Small shakedown issues getting in the habit.

Using MRO and Odyssey. What about Mars Express?

ESA's MEX not been used yet but can.

[ToSeek]

Emily - What current downlink rates? What getting up to?

Originally 8-32k, now up to 200k. Will continue to increase data rates. Max data rate 2 megabits/second. Will try that in a week or two. Important to check out telecom system very thoroughly so we can empty out buffered data.

Much more colorful than previous sites?

My impression as well, but haven't looked at NavCam. Some coloration has to do with dune field, dark dune field looks a little blueish. Texture can be a factor, too. Geomorphically definitely a very diverse place.

Lot of variations in texture. Hope colors can guide us to variations.

USA Today - What doing next 24 hours? How long does upgrade take? Can you do anything else?

Upgrade starts on Sol 5, 5-8 devoted to that. Back to science on Sol 9. Sol 5 is Saturday.

BBC again - Which quad is target in?

120, 121, 134, 135.

Use ChemCam on scour marks?

Lot of discussion, lot of eagerness to learn composition and to use death ray laser.

[R.A.F.]

....and, as usual.....nice recap, To Seek.

[BetaDust]

MSL's First Color Panorama!

Color 1.jpg
Source.


-- Dennis

[slang]

Can someone please post a link if/when the press conference is posted? TIA.

[R.A.F.]

Can someone please post a link if/when the press conference is posted? TIA.

This is where I've "found" all the recorded news conferences.


edit....just noticed they have todays there, already. That's quick.

[BetaDust]

Can someone please post a link if/when the press conference is posted? TIA.

Someone over at UMSF* noted there is also an option to view or download them at: http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/

*Source

--Dennis

[Eadfrith]

Are there any sol3 raw images anywhere?

[slang]

Thank you R.A.F. and BetaDust (gotta love those hockey dudes eh? )

[Rhaedas]

Curiosity is RTG-powered. It doesn't have solar cells that can be incapacitated by dust accumulation.

True, but dust can play havoc with other things as well. I was thinking more camera/instrument operations, and there's no avoiding the inevitable dust storm, so it has to be designed with that in mind. I doubt what got kicked up by thrusters is comparable. On a related/sidenote, how much damage (like pitting) CAN a duststorm do to things like lens and such, given the thinness of the atmosphere?

[cjameshuff]

Lot of discussion, lot of eagerness to learn composition and to use death ray laser.

If the ChemCam is a death ray, does that make the Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument (which, as far as I've been able to tell, uses D-T fusion in a sealed-tube neutron generator) a fusion cannon?

It certainly has much more impressive penetration, going through as much as a meter of solid rock...

[R.A.F.]

Thank you R.A.F. and BetaDust...

You are welcome...I live to swerve...um, I mean serve.


I think the heat is starting to get to me...90 degrees in the shade...

[ToSeek]

Press release about first MastCam images:

NASA's Curiosity Beams Back a Color 360 of Gale Crater

[ugordan]

Dynamic Albedo of Neutrons instrument (which, as far as I've been able to tell, uses D-T fusion in a sealed-tube neutron generator) a fusion cannon?

That I did not know. 14 MeV neutrons, yep it's D-T fusion.

Wow, a laser and a nuclear bomb initiator?

[Eadfrith]

I think that only the BW navcam images are going to be made available to the public and that the color mastcam wont be made released to the public unfortunately.

[Zvezdichko]

Same. I also think so.

[Cylinder]

Another quick rover question:

Image from Nav Left A on Sol 2

What is the rectangular assembly near the top of this image. There is an identical structure mouted on the opposite side of the rover. Is this a navigation sensor? (I'm just guessing based on the placement and symmetry.)

[R.A.F.]

I think that only the BW navcam images are going to be made available to the public and that the color mastcam wont be made released to the public unfortunately.

Same. I also think so.

So JPL will not be releasing images that they already have released?


What am I missing?

[djellison]

Same. I also think so.

I think that only the BW navcam images are going to be made available to the public and that the color mastcam wont be made released to the public unfortunately.

Wrong.

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?s=3

[Zvezdichko]

So JPL will not be releasing images that they already have released?

Nobody stated that. In fact, the sol3 MastCam frames weren't available on the RAW images website (only the panorama and selected frames were available on the website of NASA) - until earlier today.

Apparently, they've just updated this website : http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/

[djellison]

Nobody stated that.

So what lead you to say, just 3 hours ago, that you thought the MastCam images wouldn't get released?

[Zvezdichko]

So what lead you to say, just 3 hours ago, that you thought the MastCam images wouldn't get released?

The delay that the photos weren't in the section about 12 hours after the press conference.

Other questions?

[R.A.F.]

The delay that the photos weren't in the section about 12 hours after the press conference.

What's your "hurry"???

[R.A.F.]

Nobody stated that.

Eadfrith posted the following...

I think that only the BW navcam images are going to be made available to the public and that the color mastcam wont be made released to the public unfortunately.

...and you agreed.




bolding mine....

[Zvezdichko]

Then I guess I'm not reading all posts in full

I never thought that they're going to keep them forever, but at the moment I thought they may accept the MRO policy about the 1-month embargo period.

[djellison]

The delay that the photos weren't in the section about 12 hours after the press conference.

Other questions?

So in your book, something not release within 12 hours is never going to be released ever?

On what basis do you make that claim?

[NEOWatcher]

It seems like we get the same lengthy (IMO Useless) discussion for every new space mission.

[djellison]

I'm just trying to figure out the grounds for Zvezdichko's assertion. If there is some statement out there that those images are not going to be released, then it needs to be corrected.

Alternatively - if its just something he made up - then no action is needed.

[Swift]

May I suggest we not side track this thread further about the non-delay of image releases. Since we have an active member of CQ on the mission team, we only have to ask such questions. Let's try to keep this thread on actual surface operations and data from such, and post all the side issues in other existing or new threads.

Thanks,