New Mars Cameras

Fascinating... looks kind of like corral. Is that from water or just wind blown erosion? Or both?

Neat!!!

Have you solved the biggest mystery about Mars?

Why is it so red? Iron oxide?

That is really fucking interesting. Definitely water. 50mm? That's really close for a fucking droid. Nice portrait. Holy shit, I'm still digesting this. Awesome. FKNA.

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Originally Posted by Supermoon

It’s kinda amazing how much Mars looks like a western desert landscape, even down to the dirt.

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But with even more amazing rock formations thanks to the low gravity, e.g. the floating spoon:

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016...2772333193.jpg

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Originally Posted by splat

Have you solved the biggest mystery about Mars?

Why is it so red? Iron oxide?

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I'm pretty sure we've know that since the Viking missions in the '70s, if not before.

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Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

50mm? That's really close for a fucking droid.

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The robotic arm ops folks regularly get us to 2cm and 1cm from the surface. I'm still amazed it is possible, and they haven't slammed the camera into a rock(yet).

Here we go again....Thursday 7/30 at 450am pacific is first opportunity for launching the next rover. No trip to FL for me this time.

Rover is a lot like MSL, better wheels, bigger arm, and has a different sample system. Also the helicopter experiment looks cool. Same Rube Goldberg EDL design.

Some changes in the science payload. Our company built more cameras than MSL, but we are operating fewer on the surface. 2 cameras on the mast (now with zoom), for ASU, joint surface operation with ASU and MSSS. Built 2 of the cameras on the arm for JPL, one we operate. I camera for EDL for JPL, JPL operates. I'm involved with the arm camera that is like the MSL MAHLI.

NASA info about launch and link to watch it live:
https://www.nasa.gov/social/countdowntomars

I found this video touching, I typically don't use the public outreach names for the rovers...but I agree they picked a good one for m20:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qA9iaAUo8k

Fingers crossed for a successful launch!

helicopters on mars...heliskiing Olympus Mons coming soon (after the CO2 snowmaking system goes in)

Hoping for a successful launch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEyAs3NWH4A

So, Mars is basically Nevada?

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Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

So, Mars is basically Nevada?

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I think I saw walter cooking in one of the scenes... so maybe west of Albuquerque.


2020, where science steals my heart, fills my soul in it's endless possibilities, but also gets trampled on as people do not wish to be inconvenienced.

Successful launch

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/mars...ff-8sec-16.gif

and spacecraft in safemode right away (during first Earth shadow) :eyeroll: shouldn't be a big problem, but kind of classic 2020.

a pesar de parecer una simulacion el vídeo ese, me gusta

This image arrived over the weekend and at first glance I thought it was from Lake Powell. Dunes look like water.

Attachment 352038

Another great shot. Such an interesting landscape for being so barren.

Fantastic! Looking forward to what the next rover can do.

Question, 406: Do you use photogrammetry to combine the imagery? If so, for what use? VR, volume measurements, simulations? Curious...

People on the team do, but fanciest I get is red-blue stereo :-).
I think JPL put out some youtube(?) VR and there might be some public data available using the microsoft headset.
Hobbyist also do some of the coolest things with the images.

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Originally Posted by 406

People on the team do, but fanciest I get is red-blue stereo :-).
I think JPL put out some youtube(?) VR and there might be some public data available using the microsoft headset.
Hobbyist also do some of the coolest things with the images.

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Thx, have to check out!

Starting to seem more real that m20 ( Perseverance) will be landing soon. Final scramble to get stuff done, also had the Mars time/fatigue training today. Not looking forward to being on Mars time again. Last time, was living in a rental apartment in Pasadena commuting to JPL and single. Married with 3 kids and working from home this time around. Should be interesting. On the plus side, just have the camera on the arm this time around...so hopefully less to worry about.

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Originally Posted by 406

Starting to seem more real that m20 ( Perseverance) will be landing soon. Final scramble to get stuff done, also had the Mars time/fatigue training today. Not looking forward to being on Mars time again. Last time, was living in a rental apartment in Pasadena commuting to JPL and single. Married with 3 kids and working from home this time around. Should be interesting. On the plus side, just have the camera on the arm this time around...so hopefully less to worry about.

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Please post updates and images as able. Stoked

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Originally Posted by 406

Starting to seem more real that m20 ( Perseverance) will be landing soon.

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Looking forward to it 406, keep us posted with the vibes!

And funny thing regarding my previous questions about the photogrammetry and whatnot, Scott Manley has a small bit on that in his youtube channel on 9:00mins onwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wveG...el=ScottManley

Havent had the time to check out properly the NASA site how things have been done (the website in the video), but looks really interesting.
Imagine that in VR?

I had to google it. Never occurred to me.

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/re...e-marssol.html

JPL has a nice EDL animation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzmd7RouGrM

What could possible go wrong? :-)

History has said these things always work out, so I’m not worried.

Real question though, and I know it’s not your area of expertise necessarily, but why are these landings always so complicated? I’m sure they’ve figured out that it’s safer this way, it to me, that many things having to happen perfectly or it fails seems like a recipe for disaster.