First full-resolution and panorama images from NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover
August 9, 2012
First full-resolution (1024 by 1024 pixels) long-range image of the Martian surface from one of the Navigation cameras on NASA’s Curiosity rover, which are located on the rover’s “head” or mast. The rim of Gale Crater can be seen in the distance beyond the pebbly ground. The topography of the rim is very mountainous due to erosion. The ground seen in the middle shows low-relief scarps and plains. The foreground shows two distinct zones of excavation likely carved out by blasts from the rover’s descent stage thrusters. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
First 360-degree panoramic view from NASA’s Curiosity rover, taken with the Navigation cameras. Most of the tiles are thumbnails, or small copies of the full-resolution images that have not been sent back to Earth yet. Two of the tiles near the center are full-resolution. Mount Sharp is to the right, and the north Gale Crater rim can be seen at center. The rover’s body is in the foreground, with the shadow of its head, or mast, poking up to the right. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Comments (19)
by asiwel
It is more exciting because this rover is much more capable of doing stuff that Spirit or Opportunity. And because this location is far more interesting than plain old desert. But another part of the excitement concerns awareness of all the things that can go wrong. It could still get stuck, fall in a sand pit, something might not work or might break, dust devils might not provide frequent enough rover washes, com links overhead might fail, all sorts of things to worry about. But, this time, the batteries will recharge and the rover will stay warm in the night and winter. Those are really good things not to have to worry about!
by Skye Portia
Black and White??? this is bs.
by Alex Jones
Why is it black and white? Sigh…
by Marcos Marin
Stop whining! Follow the links for your eye candy! Just stop crying! Those kids!
by Skye Portia
exactly… all that money spent and its black and white? wtf. kinda like all the pics of the moon.. hmmm And of course the pics will be censored.. they wouldn’t show us all of the pics, especially if there is something alien out there.
by Skye Portia
exactly why is it in BLACK and WHITE???? All that money spent and super “advanced” technology and its not in color.. Reminds me of all the pics of the moon.. And of course we are only receiving some of the pics.. Censorship is for sure happening just like all the other big media.
by Cybernettr
I recall reading that color shots will come later.
by Will Jones
Obviously one step at a time. It seems we are building communications infrastructure around Mars with the orbiting satellites. We are exploring the surface. We are creating surface maps. We are developing the technologies necessary to reliably go to and return from Mars. We are increasing the public awareness and curiosity of what is on Mars. We are building to a manned mission, possibly with the same coalition that is operating the space station. There may be a huge discovery pointing to exiting or past life. Maybe even artifacts. It may unite us at least for a while as we build and execute the greatest mission of all time.
by captainramblingman
Once we receive enough data the next step would to be sending the first human to mars. That’ll be a media holiday.
by GatorALLin
..here is a media idea focused exactly on getting to Mars.
http://mars-one.com/en/
by Wight
I think a lot of has to do with that 7 minutes of terror video that seemed like something out of a Michael Bay movie. They realistically portrayed to the public what was on the line and the risks that were taken on that landing. That and the live streaming they were doing of the event through the internet had to have helped.
For Spirit and Opportunity’s landings did anyone have access to the video of the event outside of a 1 minute blip the following night while watching the news? NASA kinda has the history of “Making going to the moon about as exciting as making a trip to Pittsburgh”.
by Timothy
A couple of possibilities: first, the landing sequence was insane–and it WORKED. Also, NASA was very skillful this time in terms of public relations–the ’7 minutes of terror’ video was very well done, dramatic, and it went viral. The control room video from the time of the landing also got huge exposure, and it reminded people of the moon landing control room video. Also, the instrument package is orders of magnitude more capable than anything that came before, with potential for fundamental discoveries.
It has every reason to be more exciting this time!
by Beatriz Valdes
It looks so familiar… earth like. Just lacking the human imprint.
by Gorden Russell
It’s more exciting this time because this rover is bigger and has the capability to drill down into a layer where there may be water that supports living organisms. Curiosity has a lab that could determine if a sample had life in it.
by anthrobotic
About this Mars mission: What’s up here? Why is it so much more exciting this time? Maybe just the global convergence of social media around an aggressively virile meme? Ideas? Suggestions? Derision? http://goo.gl/Q4KLe
by Gorden Russell
It’s more exciting because this time the rover can drill down to a layer where something might be growing in a layer of underground water.
by JFH
Well… there’s the possibility of discovering existing or fossilized microbial life for one. That in and of itself is worth the trip.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/images-mars-rover-curiosity-nasa.html
“Curiosity is expected to revolutionize the understanding of Mars, gathering evidence that Mars is or was capable of fostering life, probably in microbial form.
The spacecraft is also expected to pave the way for important leaps in deep-space exploration, including bringing Martian rock or soil back to Earth for detailed analysis and, eventually, human exploration.”
by cosmowrench
What would be the benefit of human exploration, when you can do it with robots? I don’t understand why nasa wants to put humans on mars. Its a hostile place for humans. Every resource humans need, will need to be shipped in. It is too expensive and the funds needed to do it would be better spend elsewhere imo.
by pt
I’d imagine that the rover is more capable and advanced this time, plus the always growing interest in science bringing new minds to be curious of Curiousity. Other than that, like you said, the increase in media coverage. Beyond that, who knows? Perhaps it’s the world anticipating some major discovery that for whatever reason it didn’t last time.