Author Topic: Awesome (Read 11359 times)

FiahOwl · « **on:** December 08, 2011, 01:32:02 PM »

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smjjames · « **Reply #1 on:** December 08, 2011, 03:03:46 PM »

The cool thing about the rover is that it's nuclear powered, I think.

Up next, truck sized walking rovers?

vh · « **Reply #2 on:** December 08, 2011, 03:08:48 PM »

the descent is pretty complicated though, which is a bad thing. more variables that could go wrong.

And i think a swarm of bots would be better than a single large one. You're limited by the size of the rocket too.

smjjames · « **Reply #3 on:** December 08, 2011, 03:13:46 PM »

Theres other options, there are some concepts of gliders or possibly balloon probes. Don't know if any are currently in the works though.

As for a truck sized rover, I was just sort of musing, and yea a swarm would be better.

While its true that a sky crane would have more variables that could go wrong, NASA knows what they're doing and theres a first time for everything.

vh · « **Reply #4 on:** December 08, 2011, 03:19:01 PM »

lol not sure if you mean there's a first time for rovers going wrong or this type of landing system

and i think a few probes have been lost going to mars

smjjames · « **Reply #5 on:** December 08, 2011, 03:24:59 PM »

The landing system, obviously.

blotz · « **Reply #6 on:** December 08, 2011, 04:46:46 PM »

that is the epicest thing in space history. (almost)

FiahOwl · « **Reply #7 on:** December 08, 2011, 06:44:41 PM »

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FiahOwl · « **Reply #8 on:** December 08, 2011, 07:31:49 PM »

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blotz · « **Reply #9 on:** December 09, 2011, 02:25:42 PM »

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html alot of cool images with curiosity in it.

deoxy99 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 09, 2011, 02:31:06 PM »

Wasn't Curiosity already on Mars? Or am I wrong?

FiahOwl · « **Reply #11 on:** December 09, 2011, 02:38:09 PM »

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deoxy99 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 09, 2011, 02:41:21 PM »

Opportunity, that's the one I was thinking of, okay, so Curiosity isn't there yet.

smjjames · « **Reply #13 on:** December 09, 2011, 02:50:38 PM »

I think there are one or two other satellites in orbit around Mars, but anyways, one of the two rovers there (forget which one, opportunity I think) got stuck some time ago and due to it's position, wasn't able to keep the batteries charged over the Martian winter, the sister rover is still going, like the energizer bunny.

As far as Curiosity getting there, it is suppoused to arrive next summer sometime.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #14 on:** December 09, 2011, 02:53:30 PM »

Quote from: FiahOwl on December 09, 2011, 02:38:09 PM

Quote from: deoxy99 on December 09, 2011, 02:31:06 PM
Wasn't Curiosity already on Mars? Or am I wrong?

Right now (I think)

Spirit
Opportunity
Mars Pathfinder

Sojourner isn't even active anymore. Technically, nor is Spirit, it's incapable at least. Opportunity is the lone rover on Mars right now.

Not for sure on the spacecraft, but I think MRO is the only functional one orbiting Mars.

smjjames · « **Reply #15 on:** December 09, 2011, 03:10:00 PM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on December 09, 2011, 02:53:30 PM

Quote from: FiahOwl on December 09, 2011, 02:38:09 PM
Quote from: deoxy99 on December 09, 2011, 02:31:06 PM
Wasn't Curiosity already on Mars? Or am I wrong?

Right now (I think)

Spirit
Opportunity
Mars Pathfinder
Sojourner isn't even active anymore. Technically, nor is Spirit, it's incapable at least. Opportunity is the lone rover on Mars right now.

Not for sure on the spacecraft, but I think MRO is the only functional one orbiting Mars.

Yea, Spirit is the one I was referring to, wasn't sure which one was which.

blotz · « **Reply #16 on:** December 24, 2011, 05:10:10 PM »

I always forget what is which ship. I have really bad memory.

superecnate · « **Reply #17 on:** January 08, 2012, 08:26:25 AM »

Well, both Spirit and Opertunity (do not know about Pathfinder) have gone FAR beyond their predicted lifespan. Let's hope that the same happens to Curiosity!

P.S. We will always remember you Spirit! Rest in Peace!

Also, Spirit is not actually damaged. The sole reason it does not function is that it is out of power, and is stuck. If we do colonize Mars. We can go, pick it up, recharge it, and it would still work!

I am just waiting until the Government begins to fund the Ares mission again.
If you do not know what Ares is, it was a mission to put a colony on Mars.
They actually built one of the two ships, started the other, and started training the crew for the mission! Then it was canceled by the government.
Along with all manned flights.

smjjames · « **Reply #18 on:** January 08, 2012, 10:15:55 AM »

Nah, it and the previous landers should be put in a museum. Also, Pathfinder was just the lander, you're thinking of Sojourner. I'm not sure what happened with the rover, but it was lost contact with back in 1997, says wiki. That mission was only meant to last a week, it lasted months. Spirit and Opportunity lasted years. The Curiosity rover has what amounts to a nuclear power plant and even though the mission spans about two years (one Martian year), if the engineering is anything like the previous rovers, who knows, it could be active for at least a decade, or until it's power source runs out.

Technically Spirit wasn't damaged to the point where it couldn't function, but some of it's wheels did stop functioning and what happened was that it got stuck.

vh · « **Reply #19 on:** January 08, 2012, 11:36:26 AM »