Mars Curiosity Rover... to land 10:31 pm 8/5/2012

[Gary7]

Highly qualified engineers collaborated on this with thousands of hours applied to reason and come up with a plausible solution. However, I'm sure they didn't think of everything. Who knows, maybe some layman ideas could provide a novel solution that they couldn't see, being too close to the problem?

The airbag approach won't work because the payload is too heavy. Due to the thin atmosphere, the parachutes will slow the payload down to 200 mph but no slower. Thus, retro rockets are necessary. Those have to be on the reentry capsule (lander). The dust problem was probably too pervasive to consider a "dust cap". Once you've got such a thing in place, it needs to be ejected. Maybe they could have invested more money on special servo motor controlled doors for each entry point that might be affected by dust? But that would add to weight and yet another slew of devices that could go wrong.

The tether is kind of a nice idea, in that there is an inherent buffer between the landing craft and the rover. You don't have to worry about internal cushioning of the rover against the inside of the crane, to guard against the inertial shock.

However, if dust is such a problem, why not have the lander touch down with the rover attached underneath? The lander would act as a canopy to keep dust from settling down on the top. But... the dust problem may be lateral as well. The only thing that bothers me is that Mars DOES have an atmosphere, albeit a thin one, and there is wind. Wouldn't a wind storm present the same dust problem?

[publiusr]

The ultimate nightmare scenario would be for everything to almost work--the reel to deploy cables fine without snags--the rover deploys its wheels--then all the lines...save one...detach. When the crane jets away--it yanks the rover enough to trash it.

Murphy being what it is and all.

[Wanderlust]

publiusr wrote:

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The ultimate nightmare scenario would be for everything to almost work--the reel to deploy cables fine without snags--the rover deploys its wheels--then all the lines...save one...detach. When the crane jets away--it yanks the rover enough to trash it.

Murphy being what it is and all.

i keep thinking of that everytime i think about this mission

anyway, 13 days!

[gturner]

^ Or what if everything works perfectly and it sets down in a tiny crater with unclimbable walls.

[M'Sharak]

https://twitter.com/marsroverdriver/...340032/photo/1

[Crazy Eddie]

gturner wrote:

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^ Or what if everything works perfectly and it sets down in a tiny crater with unclimbable walls.

Or worse: the landing works perfectly, but the rover sets down on an oversized rock and immediately rolls over upside-down seconds after landing.

[sojourner]

Or during the communication time lag Martians strip the thing and leave the chassis on blocks!

[Crazy Eddie]

Dude, they're landing on Mars, not Detroit.

[JanewayRulz!]

newtype_alpha wrote:

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Dude, they're landing on Mars, not Detroit.

Makes me think of that old joke, how can you ID a redneck Jedi?

His X-wing fighter is jacked up on cinderblocks on the front lawn.

Who knows, maybe some layman ideas could provide a novel solution that they couldn't see, being too close to the problem?

So true... lets hope everyone is using the metric system this time.

And the media push rolls on.


CBS: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-...-never-before/

JPL: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/20...ive-mars-show/

Times Square, anyone? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48428167...science-space/

[NebulaClassGuy]

Does anybody know if any of the news networks like CNN, FOX, BBC, or MSNBC will be doing any live coverage of the rover landing?

[JanewayRulz!]

Who knows, do you get the NASA channel? Its on the basic package with DISH network.

[Warp Core Breach]

NebulaClassGuy wrote:

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Does anybody know if any of the news networks like CNN, FOX, BBC, or MSNBC will be doing any live coverage of the rover landing?

Not a chance in hell. Your best bet if you don't get NASATV on your cable/satellite package would be to find a stream online. There should be plenty available.

[NebulaClassGuy]

Hmmm... I don't think I get NASA as part of the package I have. I'll check. If anything, maybe NASA or JPL will have a live video stream on their websites.

[JanewayRulz!]

Not Mars Rover related, but encouraging all the same...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1739058.html

[RobertVA]

Warp Core Breach wrote:

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Not a chance in hell. Your best bet if you don't get NASATV on your cable/satellite package would be to find a stream online. There should be plenty available.

Wired Science:
Cross Your Fingers: How to Watch NASA’s Mars Rover Land on Sunday

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/20...o-watch-rover/