I think "screw-ups", as a blanket characterization of failure, is unfair. Failure comes with the territory in something so cutting-edge as space exploration. Granted, there have been some true screw-ups, such as confusing metric with English units in a Mars lander, causing it to crash, and using the wrong focal length for the original Hubble telescope. But even those are offset by spectacular successes, e.g. Mars landers and Hubble telescope.
The success rate, to date, for landings on Mars is less than 40%. Given the technical challenges involved, even 10% would be remarkable. I suspect that our government enthusiastically funds medical research with even lower success rates. It's just that the failures are less visible to the public.
Opportunity is still operational long after its target lifespan. That 1000% percent success rate should be factored into the overall program's success rate. Witness Opportunity's Martian Marathon (22 miles and counting):
Basic Stamp Homework Board, ( mounted on plywood).
RTC alarm set for 12:00 AM EST.
12:00 AM Relay, (mounted on plywood) sets off piezo alarm to wake up cat.
Cat jumps up and sets off PIR to trigger second relay, (mounted on plywood), to shut Homework Board down.
12:01 AM EST
Normal alarm clock goes off to alert me to direct my computer to:
NASA.gov/mars
(If I gotta' get up, then the cat has to get up too) No shrimz, she had lobzter last night.
These both need a heat source. Pu-238 is preferred in space. Nuclear? Yes.
Apparently Curiosity's power supply was built not very far from where I live. Idaho National Laboratory which built the power supply is about 50 miles from Chubbuck. I have a friend who works there. Kind of cool.
Anybody else watching? I have the Olympics on TV and the NASA stream on the computer. I know there's a beer bottle entry coming up on one and an atmospheric entry on the other, but I can't tell which right now.
Wow that is a stunning result. I didn't really expect that landing to work, seemed a bit too ambitious. Now that they've pulled it off eveyone will be wanting a "skycrane".
Ken, hit the go button on the Skycrane accessory for the elev-8. Everyone will want one...
Thanks for the links erco - that was great to watch. By coincidence (I guess it has to happen somewhere on the planet) touchdown time on Mars of 3pm was exactly the same time as here in Australia.
It is fun zooming around that crater on Google Mars - some big mountains to avoid.
I was very concerned about this one due to complexity. So amazing that they appear to have just nailed it! Loved watching some of the people there just excited as all get out!
The engineers are rock stars. 'Opportunity' has been active since 2004.
I woke up wanting to hear the news stories and I heard an anchor remark; "They had a nerd party". Wow...I'm a nerd. I guess I should have known! 'Reality' shows just don't do it for me.
...and to think 200 years ago, we couldn't litter faster than a fast horse or a fast sailing ship!!
Being a kid of the space race generation, every one of these achievements are still inspiring to me. When you think of how much had to be put together and work for this to happen as well as it did! Truly amazing stuff!!
I just had a wild thought. Since it's already the size of a Mini Cooper including a small mirror wouldn't add much to the payload. The robot arm could place it on the ground and move back to admire itself!
I wonder how far away the crane landed and if we will get to see it when curiousity starts to move around?
I recall one of the blue shirts commenting on imaging the "crane" to locate the position. My interpretation is that they meant imaging with one of the orbiters.
There must be some value in visiting it due to the amount of material the crash probably dug up.
The Curiosity rover is carrying a nuclear power source to charge its batteries and fuel its onboard systems throughout its planned two-year mission on Mars. The system uses heat from the decay of plutonium-238 to generate 110 watts of electrical power to charge the rover's batteries.
I had a feeling that it would be nuclear powered due to it's size and motor draw a solar array would have to be pretty big or charging time too long to be practical
Comments
The success rate, to date, for landings on Mars is less than 40%. Given the technical challenges involved, even 10% would be remarkable. I suspect that our government enthusiastically funds medical research with even lower success rates. It's just that the failures are less visible to the public.
-Phil
ttp://www.damninteresting.com/americas-discarded-superconducting-supercollider/
The large Hadron collider is small compared to what could have been.
http://www.ne.doe.gov/pdffiles/MMRTG_Jan2008.pdf
MMRTG uses thermocouples to make voltage.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Johann_Seebeck
A more efficient Stirling alternative is being developed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Stirling_Radioisotope_Generator
These both need a heat source. Pu-238 is preferred in space. Nuclear? Yes.
We europeans need to be patient and wait for the next day, as the landing will take place on monday 8:31 am.
Basic Stamp Homework Board, ( mounted on plywood).
RTC alarm set for 12:00 AM EST.
12:00 AM Relay, (mounted on plywood) sets off piezo alarm to wake up cat.
Cat jumps up and sets off PIR to trigger second relay, (mounted on plywood), to shut Homework Board down.
12:01 AM EST
Normal alarm clock goes off to alert me to direct my computer to:
NASA.gov/mars
(If I gotta' get up, then the cat has to get up too)
Apparently Curiosity's power supply was built not very far from where I live. Idaho National Laboratory which built the power supply is about 50 miles from Chubbuck. I have a friend who works there. Kind of cool.
More Mars info at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mars/main/index.html
Tune in tonight, just 2 hours to go!
edit: Next one 256x256... we'd have to limit to 16 greyscales...
-Phil
Ken, hit the go button on the Skycrane accessory for the elev-8. Everyone will want one...
It is fun zooming around that crater on Google Mars - some big mountains to avoid.
I was very concerned about this one due to complexity. So amazing that they appear to have just nailed it! Loved watching some of the people there just excited as all get out!
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/mars/curiosity_news3.html
I'll have to fake some Tweets & grainy photos from the Hot Wheels rover soon.
7 Tweets of Terror!
I woke up wanting to hear the news stories and I heard an anchor remark; "They had a nerd party". Wow...I'm a nerd. I guess I should have known! 'Reality' shows just don't do it for me.
Also one of my thoughts. Would be interesting to see that, the discarded heat shield and parachute. We're littering Mars by remote control!
Being a kid of the space race generation, every one of these achievements are still inspiring to me. When you think of how much had to be put together and work for this to happen as well as it did! Truly amazing stuff!!
Reminds me of all the lunar lander simulators... http://eaglelander3d.com/
I recall one of the blue shirts commenting on imaging the "crane" to locate the position. My interpretation is that they meant imaging with one of the orbiters.
There must be some value in visiting it due to the amount of material the crash probably dug up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbK4VYwD_qU