http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/
- LRK -
--------------------------------------
http://news.discovery.com/
Mars Rover 'Curiosity' Grows Up, Rolls for the First Time
Analysis by Ian O'Neill
Mon Jul 26, 2010 04:43 AM ET
Last week, the next Mars rover -- set to be launched to the Red Planet in 2011 -- grew by 1 meter when NASA technicians and engineers attached the Remote Sensing Mast to the robot's roof. The mast carries three sets of cameras, allowing the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) to 'see' the Martian landscape, helping it navigate, take photographs and carry out experiments.
snip
The car-sized MSL, called 'Curiosity,' now stands at an impressive 2 meters tall, easily dwarfing the current Mars Exploration Rovers, Opportunity and Spirit.
Construction of the rover has advanced very quickly over the last few days, and on July 23 engineers commanded Curiosity to take its first, slow steps. Housed inside a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and attached to computers via a thick set of umbilical-like cables, a live webcast watched the robot gingerly roll around.
Watch the video of Curiosity successfully reverse for the fist time across the clean room mats:
snip
------------------------------
It takes a lot longer to birth a rover than it does a human and a bit more expensive. Back in 2003 there was a gleam in the eye of the scientists who would send another rover to Mars, with expectations of launching in 2009. Sometimes your best laid plans just have to get put off while you contemplate another delivery date, say November of 2011. This will be okay as your previous rovers have done very well and managed to survive a lot longer than expected.
http://www.physorg.com/
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/
Rover Technology Development and Infusion for the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory Mission Richard Volpe and Stephen Peters
Abstract
After the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Mission, NASA plans to send a larger, longer life Mobile Science Laboratory (MSL) in 2009. This rover is planned to last 500 days, travel ten kilometers, and demonstrate autonomous capabilities that reduce the number of communication cycles now needed to achieve successful completion of activities on the surface.
Specifically, there are three categories of activity now being addressed by technology development efforts in The Mars Technology Program (MTP): long range traverse, instrument placement, and autonomous science data processing. These technologies are being developed by competitively selected teams of researchers both in and out of NASA. A multi-stage technology integration and validation process brings these distributed elements into a common software environment for rover testing and validation. Based on this validation, some software elements are being identified for incorporation in MSL mission software.
MSL flight and ground software is based on the Mission Data System (MDS) architecture under development at The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Califomia Institute of Technology. MDS provides a system engineering methodology and a software architecture based on identifying the states of the system, and how these states are estimated and controlled. The mission will include significant mission operations automation in the form of mission activity expansion, planning, scheduling, and constraint and flight rule checking within an integrated environment. The mission will also include significant autonomy for onboard anomaly detection, analysis, and response, including limited replanning.
snip
------------------------------
A nice power point presentation of expectations back in 2003.
You might like to see how that compares with where we are today.
- LRK -
------------------------------
[PPT]
Mars Science Laboratory Mission Project Science Integration Group ...
File Format: Microsoft Powerpoint -
Mars Science Laboratory Mission Project Science Integration Group (PSIG) Final Report. June 6, 2003. PSIG-2. MSL Project Science Integration Group ...
mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/reports/
snip
------------------------------
A plain text run down on what will be on board "Curiosity" can be seen at this WikipediA link.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), known as Curiosity,[2][3] is a NASA rover scheduled to be launched in November 2011[4] and would perform the first-ever precision landing on Mars. It is a rover that will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life. In other words, its mission is to determine the planet's habitability. It will also analyze samples scooped up from the soil and drilled powders from rocks.[5]
The MSL rover will be over five times as heavy as and carry over ten times the weight of scientific instruments as the Spirit or Opportunity rovers.[6] The United States, Canada, Germany, France, Russia and Spain will provide the instruments on board. The MSL rover will be launched by an Atlas V 541 rocket and will be expected to operate for at least 1 Martian year (668 Martian sols/686 Earth days) as it explores with greater range than any previous Mars rover.
Mars Science Laboratory is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of Mars, and is a project managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The total cost of the MSL project is about $2.3 billion USD.[7]
snip
------------------------------
If you can handle YouTube presentations this one should be of interest.
Nice picture of "Curiosity" as well and the text is worth reading.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://jalopnik.com/5474088/
Curiosity: NASA's Epic New Mars Rover
Mars rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" were successful beyond NASA's wildest dreams. Now they're building a new, nuclear-powered Mini Cooper-sized rover to be lowered onto Mars by a hovering drop ship in 2013. Meet "Curiosity," the new Mars Science Laboratory.
snip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
If we can love cars on Earth, we sure as heck can love them when they're shot across the cosmos to land on another planet to do some pretty astounding science. Take a couple minutes to watch the above animation and it becomes abundantly clear NASA is aiming for a whole different level of robotic exploration with its next rover program. The Mars Science Laboratory program was originally started back in 2003 with an estimated price tag of $1.62B, since then it's undergone delays while new technologies were invented to support the ambitious plans and suffered a major setback when over 1,000 parts were manufactured from substandard titanium. The current estimated costs for the program is right around $2.4B, pocket change.
snip
------------------------------
Sixteen images on CNET with captions.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://news.cnet.com/2300-
Mars rover Curiosity to seek answers (images)
May 21, 2010 12:16 PM PDT
NASA got a great deal of mileage out of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which have lasted far longer than the 90 days originally expected of them when they landed in January 2004. Just this week, in fact, NASA said that Opportunity has surpassed the longevity record of 6 years, 116 days for operation on Mars, surpassing the Viking 1 lander. Spirit, meanwhile, may be done for. Bogged down in loose Martian soil, it may not have been able to position itself to get a good recharge from its solar panels.
Back on Earth, NASA is working on the next generation of Mars rover, named Curiosity, a bigger model that the space agency this week said it hopes to launch between November 25 and December 18, 2011, with a landing on Mars to occur between August 6 and August 20, 2012.
snip
------------------------------
Flash interactive for those who like to be dazzled.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/
And for the more scientific orientation -
MSL Science Corner
http://msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.
------------------------------
http://msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.
News
MSL Science Corner Updated! - 07.09.2010
The Mars Science Laboratory mission is scheduled to launch in late 2011. The contents of the MSL Science Corner, including descriptions of the instruments, sampling hardware, and operations, have been updated to reflect changes that have occurred during the development of the hardware and planning for the 2011 opportunity. At present, the entire flight system is undergoing assembly and testing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
All Status Reports
http://msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.
snip
------------------------------
So another year and some months to wait.
Go to school, get a PhD, join a mission and spend the rest of your career working to make it happen.
Want to move a mountain? One stone at a time will do it, providing you have a life time to spend picking up stones.
As I mentioned at the beginning, mom is 100 years young. She has seen a lot of changes. If you live as long maybe you will see "Curiosity" land on Mars, or even something similar land on the Moon. I guess a rover needs to look into those holes that have been reported since humans have already been there, although they haven't done that.
http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/
- LRK -
Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.
Comments accepted here - http://lunar-update.blogspot.
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/
==============================
http://science.nasa.gov/
A Mars Rover Named "Curiosity"
October 30, 2009: If you found your grandmother's diary, tattered and dust covered, up in the attic, would you read it? Of course you would. Granny was a pistol! Brush off the dust, open up the little book, and foray into her lively and interesting past.
Dust cloaks some fascinating tales in other places, too. NASA scientists will soon brush the dust off some Martian rocks that are practically bursting their seams to give their lively account of the red planet's past. The Mars Science Lab -- aptly named "Curiosity" -- is heading up there in 2011 to read the diary of Mars.
The small, car-sized rover will ramble about on the rocky surface, gizmos at full tilt, not only brushing dust off rocks but also vaporizing them with a laser beam, gathering samples to analyze on the spot, taking high resolution photographs, and more.
snip
==============================
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/
Too Many Mars Missions Planned?
Have humans got too many Mars missions on the drawing board? Take a look at this hilarious video, and think it over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Mars 2020 Springtime
Here is a quick list of what's actually going on now: [this looks to be 2006 time frame - LRK -]
* 1996 November 7, Delta II, currently operating in Mars orbit.
Mars Global Surveyor (Nasa).
* 2001 April 7, Delta II, currently operating in Mars orbit. 2001
Mars Odyssey, Mars Surveyor 2001 Orbiter (Nasa).
* 2003 June 2, Soyuz-Fregat, currently operating in Mars orbit.
Mars Express (ESA), Orbiter Mars Express and a Lander named Beagle 2.
* 2003 June 10, Delta 2 (7425), currently operating on the surface
of Mars. Spirit, 2003 Mars Exploration Rover 2, MER-2, MER-A, Mars
Surveyor 2003 Lander/Rover A (Nasa).
* 2003 July 7, Delta 2 (7425), currently operating on the surface
of Mars. Opportunity, 2003 Mars Exploration Rover 1, MER-1, MER-B,
Mars Surveyor 2003 Lander/Rover B (Nasa).
* March 2, 2004, Ariane V, currently in interplanetary cruise.
Rosetta (ESA). Was scheduled for launch in January 2003, as
Mars/asteroid/comet mission, will flyby Mars for gravity assist on
August 26, 2005, to finally reach and land on Comet 46 P/Wirtanen in
2011.
* Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Surveyor 2005 Orbiter (Nasa).
Arrived at Mars on March 10, 2006, inserted into highly-excentric
orbit; now in aerobraking phase scheduled until November 2006.
For future Martian springtimes:
* 2007 August. Phoenix - the selected Mars 2007 Small Scout Missions (Nasa): An in-situ volatile and organic molecule survey (LPL/Univ of Arizona).
* 2009 December Mars Science Laboratory, Mars Smart Lander, Mars 2009 Mobile Scientific Laboratory (Nasa).: Formerly scheduled for 2007, the spacecraft is now to be launched in December 2007, and to arrive at Mars in October 2010.
* 2009 Late Phobos-Grunt (Russia). Scheduled sample return mission to Martian moon Phobos.
* 2009 Late Beagle 2: Evolution (ESA). Mars Lander.
* 2011 Mars Scout 2 (Nasa). A mission succeeding and extending the 2007 Mars Scout, Phoenix; details to be defined. Mars Beyond 2009 page (JPL); Mars 2003 and 2005 page (NSSDC)
* 2011 Exo Mars (ESA). Will include an orbiter and a descent module that will land a highly mobile rover, weighing up to 200 kilograms, on the surface of Mars.
* 2014 Mars 2014 (Nasa; possible participations from France and Italy) Possibly first sample return mission. Mars Beyond 2009 page (JPL); Mars 2003 and 2005 page (NSSDC)
* 2016 Mars 2016 (Nasa, international?; under study). Possibly another sample return mission, or orbiters, landers, rovers. May include a Mars Astrobiology Field Laboratory, or Deep Drilling or other technologies. Mars Beyond 2009 page (JPL); Mars 2003 and 2005 page (NSSDC)
Read more details on this Mars landing list. Also, it's not like everyone has to go to the same place: see this list of 153 Mars landing sites.
http://spider.seds.org/mars/
http://cmex.ihmc.us/MarsTools/
snip
==============================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
==============================
Mars Rover 'Curiosity' Grows Up, Rolls for the First Time
Analysis by Ian O'Neill
Mon Jul 26, 2010 04:43 AM ET
Last week, the next Mars rover -- set to be launched to the Red Planet in 2011 -- grew by 1 meter when NASA technicians and engineers attached the Remote Sensing Mast to the robot's roof. The mast carries three sets of cameras, allowing the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) to 'see' the Martian landscape, helping it navigate, take photographs and carry out experiments.
snip
The car-sized MSL, called 'Curiosity,' now stands at an impressive 2 meters tall, easily dwarfing the current Mars Exploration Rovers, Opportunity and Spirit.
Construction of the rover has advanced very quickly over the last few days, and on July 23 engineers commanded Curiosity to take its first, slow steps. Housed inside a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., and attached to computers via a thick set of umbilical-like cables, a live webcast watched the robot gingerly roll around.
Watch the video of Curiosity successfully reverse for the fist time across the clean room mats:
snip
------------------------------
It takes a lot longer to birth a rover than it does a human and a bit more expensive. Back in 2003 there was a gleam in the eye of the scientists who would send another rover to Mars, with expectations of launching in 2009. Sometimes your best laid plans just have to get put off while you contemplate another delivery date, say November of 2011. This will be okay as your previous rovers have done very well and managed to survive a lot longer than expected.
http://www.physorg.com/
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://trs-new.jpl.nasa.gov/
Rover Technology Development and Infusion for the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory Mission Richard Volpe and Stephen Peters
Abstract
After the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) Mission, NASA plans to send a larger, longer life Mobile Science Laboratory (MSL) in 2009. This rover is planned to last 500 days, travel ten kilometers, and demonstrate autonomous capabilities that reduce the number of communication cycles now needed to achieve successful completion of activities on the surface.
Specifically, there are three categories of activity now being addressed by technology development efforts in The Mars Technology Program (MTP): long range traverse, instrument placement, and autonomous science data processing. These technologies are being developed by competitively selected teams of researchers both in and out of NASA. A multi-stage technology integration and validation process brings these distributed elements into a common software environment for rover testing and validation. Based on this validation, some software elements are being identified for incorporation in MSL mission software.
MSL flight and ground software is based on the Mission Data System (MDS) architecture under development at The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Califomia Institute of Technology. MDS provides a system engineering methodology and a software architecture based on identifying the states of the system, and how these states are estimated and controlled. The mission will include significant mission operations automation in the form of mission activity expansion, planning, scheduling, and constraint and flight rule checking within an integrated environment. The mission will also include significant autonomy for onboard anomaly detection, analysis, and response, including limited replanning.
snip
------------------------------
A nice power point presentation of expectations back in 2003.
You might like to see how that compares with where we are today.
- LRK -
------------------------------
[PPT]
Mars Science Laboratory Mission Project Science Integration Group ...
File Format: Microsoft Powerpoint -
Mars Science Laboratory Mission Project Science Integration Group (PSIG) Final Report. June 6, 2003. PSIG-2. MSL Project Science Integration Group ...
mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/reports/
snip
------------------------------
A plain text run down on what will be on board "Curiosity" can be seen at this WikipediA link.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), known as Curiosity,[2][3] is a NASA rover scheduled to be launched in November 2011[4] and would perform the first-ever precision landing on Mars. It is a rover that will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life. In other words, its mission is to determine the planet's habitability. It will also analyze samples scooped up from the soil and drilled powders from rocks.[5]
The MSL rover will be over five times as heavy as and carry over ten times the weight of scientific instruments as the Spirit or Opportunity rovers.[6] The United States, Canada, Germany, France, Russia and Spain will provide the instruments on board. The MSL rover will be launched by an Atlas V 541 rocket and will be expected to operate for at least 1 Martian year (668 Martian sols/686 Earth days) as it explores with greater range than any previous Mars rover.
Mars Science Laboratory is part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of Mars, and is a project managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The total cost of the MSL project is about $2.3 billion USD.[7]
snip
------------------------------
If you can handle YouTube presentations this one should be of interest.
Nice picture of "Curiosity" as well and the text is worth reading.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://jalopnik.com/5474088/
Curiosity: NASA's Epic New Mars Rover
Mars rovers "Spirit" and "Opportunity" were successful beyond NASA's wildest dreams. Now they're building a new, nuclear-powered Mini Cooper-sized rover to be lowered onto Mars by a hovering drop ship in 2013. Meet "Curiosity," the new Mars Science Laboratory.
snip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
If we can love cars on Earth, we sure as heck can love them when they're shot across the cosmos to land on another planet to do some pretty astounding science. Take a couple minutes to watch the above animation and it becomes abundantly clear NASA is aiming for a whole different level of robotic exploration with its next rover program. The Mars Science Laboratory program was originally started back in 2003 with an estimated price tag of $1.62B, since then it's undergone delays while new technologies were invented to support the ambitious plans and suffered a major setback when over 1,000 parts were manufactured from substandard titanium. The current estimated costs for the program is right around $2.4B, pocket change.
snip
------------------------------
Sixteen images on CNET with captions.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://news.cnet.com/2300-
Mars rover Curiosity to seek answers (images)
May 21, 2010 12:16 PM PDT
NASA got a great deal of mileage out of the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which have lasted far longer than the 90 days originally expected of them when they landed in January 2004. Just this week, in fact, NASA said that Opportunity has surpassed the longevity record of 6 years, 116 days for operation on Mars, surpassing the Viking 1 lander. Spirit, meanwhile, may be done for. Bogged down in loose Martian soil, it may not have been able to position itself to get a good recharge from its solar panels.
Back on Earth, NASA is working on the next generation of Mars rover, named Curiosity, a bigger model that the space agency this week said it hopes to launch between November 25 and December 18, 2011, with a landing on Mars to occur between August 6 and August 20, 2012.
snip
------------------------------
Flash interactive for those who like to be dazzled.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/
And for the more scientific orientation -
MSL Science Corner
http://msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.
------------------------------
http://msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.
News
MSL Science Corner Updated! - 07.09.2010
The Mars Science Laboratory mission is scheduled to launch in late 2011. The contents of the MSL Science Corner, including descriptions of the instruments, sampling hardware, and operations, have been updated to reflect changes that have occurred during the development of the hardware and planning for the 2011 opportunity. At present, the entire flight system is undergoing assembly and testing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
All Status Reports
http://msl-scicorner.jpl.nasa.
snip
------------------------------
So another year and some months to wait.
Go to school, get a PhD, join a mission and spend the rest of your career working to make it happen.
Want to move a mountain? One stone at a time will do it, providing you have a life time to spend picking up stones.
As I mentioned at the beginning, mom is 100 years young. She has seen a lot of changes. If you live as long maybe you will see "Curiosity" land on Mars, or even something similar land on the Moon. I guess a rover needs to look into those holes that have been reported since humans have already been there, although they haven't done that.
http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/
- LRK -
Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.
Comments accepted here - http://lunar-update.blogspot.
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/
==============================
http://science.nasa.gov/
A Mars Rover Named "Curiosity"
October 30, 2009: If you found your grandmother's diary, tattered and dust covered, up in the attic, would you read it? Of course you would. Granny was a pistol! Brush off the dust, open up the little book, and foray into her lively and interesting past.
Dust cloaks some fascinating tales in other places, too. NASA scientists will soon brush the dust off some Martian rocks that are practically bursting their seams to give their lively account of the red planet's past. The Mars Science Lab -- aptly named "Curiosity" -- is heading up there in 2011 to read the diary of Mars.
The small, car-sized rover will ramble about on the rocky surface, gizmos at full tilt, not only brushing dust off rocks but also vaporizing them with a laser beam, gathering samples to analyze on the spot, taking high resolution photographs, and more.
snip
==============================
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/
Too Many Mars Missions Planned?
Have humans got too many Mars missions on the drawing board? Take a look at this hilarious video, and think it over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Mars 2020 Springtime
Here is a quick list of what's actually going on now: [this looks to be 2006 time frame - LRK -]
* 1996 November 7, Delta II, currently operating in Mars orbit.
Mars Global Surveyor (Nasa).
* 2001 April 7, Delta II, currently operating in Mars orbit. 2001
Mars Odyssey, Mars Surveyor 2001 Orbiter (Nasa).
* 2003 June 2, Soyuz-Fregat, currently operating in Mars orbit.
Mars Express (ESA), Orbiter Mars Express and a Lander named Beagle 2.
* 2003 June 10, Delta 2 (7425), currently operating on the surface
of Mars. Spirit, 2003 Mars Exploration Rover 2, MER-2, MER-A, Mars
Surveyor 2003 Lander/Rover A (Nasa).
* 2003 July 7, Delta 2 (7425), currently operating on the surface
of Mars. Opportunity, 2003 Mars Exploration Rover 1, MER-1, MER-B,
Mars Surveyor 2003 Lander/Rover B (Nasa).
* March 2, 2004, Ariane V, currently in interplanetary cruise.
Rosetta (ESA). Was scheduled for launch in January 2003, as
Mars/asteroid/comet mission, will flyby Mars for gravity assist on
August 26, 2005, to finally reach and land on Comet 46 P/Wirtanen in
2011.
* Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mars Surveyor 2005 Orbiter (Nasa).
Arrived at Mars on March 10, 2006, inserted into highly-excentric
orbit; now in aerobraking phase scheduled until November 2006.
For future Martian springtimes:
* 2007 August. Phoenix - the selected Mars 2007 Small Scout Missions (Nasa): An in-situ volatile and organic molecule survey (LPL/Univ of Arizona).
* 2009 December Mars Science Laboratory, Mars Smart Lander, Mars 2009 Mobile Scientific Laboratory (Nasa).: Formerly scheduled for 2007, the spacecraft is now to be launched in December 2007, and to arrive at Mars in October 2010.
* 2009 Late Phobos-Grunt (Russia). Scheduled sample return mission to Martian moon Phobos.
* 2009 Late Beagle 2: Evolution (ESA). Mars Lander.
* 2011 Mars Scout 2 (Nasa). A mission succeeding and extending the 2007 Mars Scout, Phoenix; details to be defined. Mars Beyond 2009 page (JPL); Mars 2003 and 2005 page (NSSDC)
* 2011 Exo Mars (ESA). Will include an orbiter and a descent module that will land a highly mobile rover, weighing up to 200 kilograms, on the surface of Mars.
* 2014 Mars 2014 (Nasa; possible participations from France and Italy) Possibly first sample return mission. Mars Beyond 2009 page (JPL); Mars 2003 and 2005 page (NSSDC)
* 2016 Mars 2016 (Nasa, international?; under study). Possibly another sample return mission, or orbiters, landers, rovers. May include a Mars Astrobiology Field Laboratory, or Deep Drilling or other technologies. Mars Beyond 2009 page (JPL); Mars 2003 and 2005 page (NSSDC)
Read more details on this Mars landing list. Also, it's not like everyone has to go to the same place: see this list of 153 Mars landing sites.
http://spider.seds.org/mars/
http://cmex.ihmc.us/MarsTools/
snip
==============================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
==============================
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