Spirit's First Mars Images

An anonymous reader writes "First panoramic and overhead polar views of Mars, a quarter billion miles away are available. Some spectacular examples and accompanying commentaries are at NASA's Astrobiology Magazine, and JPL."

Comments

To all the NASA drivers:

[twoslice]

Squyres said of the Gusev landing site. "It is a place that is almost, when you look at it, it looks like it was tailor made for our vehicle. Our vehicle was built to drive, our vehicle was built to explore.... We see rocks, we see enough rocks that we can do great science with them but not so many that they're going to get in our way. So we're going to be able to really motor around this place. So I'm looking forward to some good driving in the weeks and months ahead."

That is exactly what the driver of the last mission to Mars said when he hung up the rover on a rock and got it stuck.

I would hate to be the person who got the rover stuck on a rock with all those rocket scientists looking at me really steamed...

Re:Colour calibration?

[VertigoAce]

Those are black and white images. The bluish color results from taking a picture of the big screen at JPL as these images were shown (or doing screen grabs of NASA TV). The first color images should be sometime Sunday night.

I was watching these (on NASA TV) as they came in and it was just amazing. Everyone at JPL was really quiet as they knew the data was about to come in. As earth had already set, this data (~12 minutes) was being relayed by Mars Odyssey. The first couple images were really dark and small. You got the impression most people had no idea what they were, but none the less everyone was cheering that they were getting data and pictures back. They got at least one picture that was taken during landing that they weren't expecting. Then the big detailed pictures of the landing site started coming in and everyone was just in awe. Pretty quickly they combined images into mosaics and panoramic shots. I can't wait until they get their good cameras up and running. The commentator was saying the resolution will be hight enough that the pictures will still look good when blown up to the size of a movie screen.

This is a-w-e-s-o-m-e!!

[Lispy]

I was following the Nasa TV broadcast from Germany, meaning I had to get up at 5am. My girlfriend called me nuts. But I don't regret a single second. The six minutes landing phase was more stunning than any movie could ever be. I smoked chains when the signal disappeared. But now that I see the images I must say "Good work, Nasa!"

I am eagerly looking forward to the landing of Opportunity and the rover mission. Still, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ESAs Beagle2. Chances are we can pick up a signal these days using Mars Express Orbiter!

The landing sequence for the MERs seemed quite complex and I was wondering if they were overdoing it! But I am deeply impressed now. Ever since I was a little boy I was dreaming about a real Rover on Mars and now I get two (hopefully). This is better than xmas! Thank you, Nasa! You rock! ;-))))

Lispy

Too Bad...

[BTWR]

Speaking of Cornell, my professor at Cornell was the Rover's principal scientist Steve Squyres (great guy and perhaps the best professor I ever had there, by the way...). He said that at one point they had considered using radiactive power cells. That woulda made the rovers last like 6 years, not up to 6 months. The Viking Landers lived from like 1976 until like 1982. Imagine how far the rover coulda crawled in 6 years! I mean, someone do the math... it woulda been amazing. Oh well, glas-half-full-and-all, 6 months is infinately better than shattering in the atmosphere/rocks...

Re:boy am I glad!

[wjsteele]

First of all. $800M (for two rovers) is really inexpensive.

Secondly, the science we gain is very important... and people like you, who can't see it, should go join those poor sobs who can't seem to feed themselves, let alone contribute to the rest of society.

I would much rather pay for science (that helps everybody) than to waste my money trying to feed some poor slob who has no concept of how to even feed themselves - much less contribute.

Lastly, each one of us here on this planet were born with exactly the same thing... NOTHING. We make our own world. If there is a problem with the one we currently have, then it is up to ourselves to change it. And before you say anything else, I know... I was born to a very poor household with a drug taking single parent. Once I realized how bad it was, I got out, started working two jobs and paid my own way through a local state college. I've worked my ass off to get to where I am at right now and I am very proud of that fact. I instill every bit of that in my daughter so that she also understands what it takes. You can't just sit by and have pitty on your own situation... you must do something about it.

Science allows us to expand our knowledge and understanding of the universe around us. Which makes our world a better place to live in. Social programs that "HELP" those in need only serve to support the status quo, they don't help it grow or make it any better. I'm not saying we don't need social programs... but rather we should only have social programs for those who can not care for themselves... like children, accident victims, sick and elderly.

Bill

Re:Congratulations to the team

[dradler]

Perhaps a few read Slashdot, from time to time.

Mark Adler
Spirit Mission Manager

Some stereo 3D views I made.

[Bowie J. Poag]

Enjoy.

I tried submitting this as a story, but it was rejected.

Hooray.