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NASA Testing Lunar Rovers In Moses Lake, WA

Posted by timothy on from the bring-me-my-chariot dept.

deadaluspark writes "I work at a local news station, and found out NASA was testing their lunar rovers in a nearby city. I pulled some strings and got our news director to send out one of our reporters. I would link to the original video on the KVEW website, but the video is screwing up on the badly designed, WMP only website. So I uploaded the package to youtube for everyone on Slashdot to enjoy. Very cool video of NASA toys in action." Don't believe anyone who says it always rains in Washington.

116 comments

  1. How can they test them ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    On the earth ? It's very different then the moon.

    1. Re:How can they test them ? by QuantumG · · Score: 1

      Partial testing :)

      --
      How we know is more important than what we know.
    2. Re:How can they test them ? by rhombic · · Score: 3, Funny

      You've obviously never driven through Eastern Washington

      Humor aside, the area around Moses lake is mainly dust and exposed lava rock. Would think it'd make a pretty good proxy for the moon's surface.

      --
      1984 was supposed to be a warning, not an instruction manual.
    3. Re:How can they test them ? by deadaluspark · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually, while trying to find more out about this before I was able to contact the NASA reps, I ran across and article that said Moses Lake had been considered before in the 90s (I think 97, but don't quote me on that.). So, its been in the running to get used as a testing ground for quite a while.

    4. Re:How can they test them ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      There is also a lot of volcanic ash from St. Helens.

    5. Re:How can they test them ? by theshibboleth · · Score: 1

      Doesn't the fact that there's water right there make it somewhat unsuitable? How much space is there to really drive around and such without falling into the lake?

    6. Re:How can they test them ? by livewire98801 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Unless you're skipping rocks on Moses Lake, you don't know it's there. I live in Wenatchee (about an hour away). It's a semi-arid desert here, and ML gets less precipitation than we do. Trust me, the lake isn't going to interfere with desert-based operations :)

      --
      "He may be mad, but there's method in his madness. [...] It's what drives men mad, being methodical." G.K.Chesterton
    7. Re:How can they test them ? by theshibboleth · · Score: 1

      It's weird... on geographical maps eaastern Washington looks more mountainous than deserty.

    8. Re:How can they test them ? by Nazlfrag · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I heard there's atmosphere there too, and the gravity is way off, as is the cosmic radiation. They should just go somewhere on Earth with no water, no atmosphere, no magnetosphere and partial gravity.

    9. Re:How can they test them ? by Arleigh2 · · Score: 1

      "...the area around Moses Lake is mainly dust and exposed lava rock. Would think it'd make a pretty good proxy for the moon's surface." Is that where they filmed all the fake moon landings?

    10. Re:How can they test them ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cleveland?

    11. Re:How can they test them ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      South-Eastern Washington State is known as the "Channeled Scablands" which is how it appears from the air. It has been used before to simulate other-worldly landscapes.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channeled_scablands

    12. Re:How can they test them ? by livewire98801 · · Score: 1

      Here's a map of the area I assume they're in. All the green you see is due to massive amounts of irrigation. . .

      linky

      --
      "He may be mad, but there's method in his madness. [...] It's what drives men mad, being methodical." G.K.Chesterton
  2. Rain in WA by treeves · · Score: 5, Informative

    When someone says it always rains in Washington (1) they're exaggerating. a bit. (2) they mean WESTERN Washington. Moses Lake is in Eastern Washington.

    --
    ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
    1. Re:Rain in WA by Carnildo · · Score: 3, Funny

      True. In Eastern Washington, it snows.

      We got mixed rain and snow here last Tuesday; some of the surrounding towns got as much as an inch.

      --
      "They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
    2. Re:Rain in WA by mark_hill97 · · Score: 1

      I grew up in Ephrata, WA this is basicly the next town over and it is absolutely not eastern washington, its central, central washington is all desert. Anyways, pretty cool to see where I grew up getting into the news.

    3. Re:Rain in WA by Nethead · · Score: 1

      The first time I've seen sun in two weeks, here in Puget Sound. I remember working on the 10base2 Lantastic network at your sister station KAPP in Yakima. I also worked as an engineer at KOTY (when that call was in the Tri-Cities back in the very early 80s.)

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    4. Re:Rain in WA by Nethead · · Score: 1

      It's still considered Eastern Washington since it is on the east side of the Cascade Mountain range. But most just call it the dryside. But you are correct, it is indeed a key city of the Great Inland Empire of the Columbia Basin and beats the shit out of Quincy and Ritzville. Othello has it's charms though; but maybe that's because my first GF was from there.

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    5. Re:Rain in WA by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 4, Funny

      it is absolutely not eastern washington Sorry, but if it's east of the Cascades, then it's "Eastern Washington" (at least to those of us on the wet side of the state). ;-)

      Anyways, pretty cool to see where I grew up getting into the news. Well, the last time my home town (Mount Vernon, WA) was in the national news was because some whack-job took off all his clothes, ran out onto the freeway, and climbed up onto a semi-truck that had stopped because of him. This is decidedly cooler than that.
      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    6. Re:Rain in WA by Forrest+Kyle · · Score: 1

      It's also important to point out that rain complaints in Western Washington are based on frequency, not volume.

      For instance, it rains more in Miami, but it rains more often in Seattle.

    7. Re:Rain in WA by mark_hill97 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Sorry, but if it's east of the Cascades, then it's "Eastern Washington" (at least to those of us on the wet side of the state). ;-)
      except eastern washington, the areas around spokeane and such are all green, central washington is fucking barren and hilly, its no wonder NASA is out there, its the closest thing we have on earth to the moon.
    8. Re:Rain in WA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      No problem with rain right now. It's just colder than Siberia:

      http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004470095_weather11m.html

      I honestly cannot remember the last run of good weather we've had here in Seattle. Please someone give me a vitamin D injection or just kill me.

    9. Re:Rain in WA by Nethead · · Score: 1

      Don't you remember about 2:15pm to 4:35pm today when the sun broke through? But that was North of the inversion zone.

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    10. Re:Rain in WA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, the last time my home town (Mount Vernon, WA)

      I spent 5 of my growing-up years in Sedro Woolley. Used to ride my bicycle to Mt. Vernon. When it wasn't raining...
    11. Re:Rain in WA by themushroom · · Score: 1

      Thank you, I've been trying to tell that to people for years.

      It's the dead turtle smell in Moses Hole, not rain, that one has to watch out for. :-D

      -- mÂ, Toppenish expat

      --
      Laughter is the Spackle of the Soul.
    12. Re:Rain in WA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When someone says it always rains in Washington (1) they're exaggerating. a bit. (2) they mean WESTERN Washington.
      Moses Lake is in Eastern Washington. I was there last week at the test, and YES it did rain and mist and blow. Also too cold for summer!
    13. Re:Rain in WA by Dare+nMc · · Score: 1

      closest thing we have on earth to the moon

      I know it's a joke because I have been to the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. They have never had a trace of rain in the last 25 years (recorded history.) They (Chileans) will all tell you they can take you to where they staged the moon landing, and they mean it (they believe their telling the truth anyway.) Hard to believe their is a place with 0 discernible life, not even any mold to be found.
    14. Re:Rain in WA by HungWeiLo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I don't know who modded this funny. I don't know about eastern Washington, but Seattle's (that's in western Washington) gone through a cold snap lately. Today (6/12) is the first day the temperature went above 65 degrees. So far in June, I was told we're colder than Fairbanks and parts of Siberia.

      --
      There are a huge number of yeast infections in this county. Probably because we're downriver from the bread factory.
    15. Re:Rain in WA by livewire98801 · · Score: 1

      Having lived in Seattle and in Wenatchee, I can tell you with certainty that Central Washington and the Puget sound are on different planets.

      At least as far as weather is concerned. . .

      --
      "He may be mad, but there's method in his madness. [...] It's what drives men mad, being methodical." G.K.Chesterton
    16. Re:Rain in WA by livewire98801 · · Score: 1

      The only people who refer to it as 'Eastern Washington" are coasties. . . :-D

      --
      "He may be mad, but there's method in his madness. [...] It's what drives men mad, being methodical." G.K.Chesterton
    17. Re:Rain in WA by myth_of_sisyphus · · Score: 1

      I went to Seattle as a kid and the weather was beautiful for a whole week. The locals constantly reminded us that "we never have this kind of weather!"

      My mom told me 'They probably say that to everybody to keep people from moving here."

    18. Re:Rain in WA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      'They probably say that to everybody to keep people from moving here." And your telling all of /. you insensitive cod!
    19. Re:Rain in WA by aquatone282 · · Score: 1

      That's because the idiots think Washington is part of Seattle.

      --
      What?
    20. Re:Rain in WA by juan2074 · · Score: 1

      When they say it rains a lot in Seattle, they really mean Lynnwood.

    21. Re:Rain in WA by I_Love_Pocky! · · Score: 1

      I'm from the Tri-Cities, and we refer to everything east of the Cascades as Eastern Washington.

    22. Re:Rain in WA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, the last time my home town (Mount Vernon, WA) was in the national news was because some whack-job took off all his clothes, ran out onto the freeway, and climbed up onto a semi-truck that had stopped because of him. This is decidedly cooler than that. Cool is subjective... Tell me more of this naked man.
  3. The rovers were bad! by mseidl · · Score: 4, Funny

    You should have seen the rovers during spring break.

    I think NASA went over board with the number of probes installed on the rover.

    1. Re:The rovers were bad! by Architect_sasyr · · Score: 1

      How can you go overboard on a rover probe? You can't exactly Macgyver up a new one while you're up there so you need as much on the device as possible. And redundancy (which NASA have yet to learn properly I notice) in case something breaks.

      --
      Me failed English...
      FreeBSD over Linux. If my comments seem odd, this may explain...
    2. Re:The rovers were bad! by owlnation · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think NASA went over board with the number of probes installed on the rover.
      What? No Harpoons? How will they hunt whales?
    3. Re:The rovers were bad! by Nethead · · Score: 4, Funny

      That was a joke son.. pulling your leg. Maybe this will work for you: "he he, he said probe."

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    4. Re:The rovers were bad! by c_forq · · Score: 1

      This is just the alpha, they are only testing the pursuit part. Once they move the the beta then they will start testing the killing part (they are waiting for whale hunting moratorium to be lifted).

      --
      Computers allow humans to make mistakes at the fastest speeds known, with the possible exception of tequila and handguns
    5. Re:The rovers were bad! by OzBeserk · · Score: 1

      Whalers on the moon have to carry their harpoons. ;-)

    6. Re:The rovers were bad! by dkleinsc · · Score: 1

      There ain't no whales so we tell tall tales and sing our whaling tune.

      --
      I am officially gone from /. Long live http://www.soylentnews.com/
  4. Glast... by davidsyes · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Wow, such news and revelations... Wonder if there'll be more glasnost.. Nyet Nyet, comrade...

    Maybe there will be some... Paris Troika,umm perestroika in space...

    --
    Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  5. Color scheme by Xzzy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What amuses me is how closely the NASA's color scheme matches the LEGO mars mission color scheme. ;)

    http://shop.lego.com/Product/?p=7690

    Which came first I wonder?

    1. Re:Color scheme by Carnildo · · Score: 4, Informative

      Which came first I wonder?


      NASA. They've been using the white (standard reflective paint), black (heat shields) and gold (reflective gold foil) color scheme since the beginning.
      --
      "They redundantly repeated themselves over and over again incessantly without end ad infinitum" -- ibid.
    2. Re:Color scheme by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On behalf of the entire field of aerospace engineering, I must say that your comment makes me sad.

  6. Washington rain... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I sure seems to rain all the time over here on the west side of Washington! But when I lived in a Podunk miserable hell-hole town not far from Moses Lake that I now refer to as "Conhell," it rarely if ever rained. Now, when I start wondering if I'll ever see the rain again, I just remind myself of how hot it was in the summer and how miserably dry it was the rest of the year in Conhell.

    1. Re:Washington rain... by Nethead · · Score: 2, Funny

      With a population of just over 3,190, this vibrant, progressive community offers a quality of life that is rare today. I don't think they know what the common usage of the word progressive is. Isn't that part of the 4th district of Rep. Richard "Doc" Hastings? I thought that my mom was the only progressive in the dryside, and she lives in Yakima, the Palm Beach of Washington. Hell hole? Just because the nearest towns are Sulphur, Curry, Mesa and Cactus.

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    2. Re:Washington rain... by DurendalMac · · Score: 1

      Sheesh, who the hell said that about Moses Lake? It's NOT progressive, I can guarantee you that. There are some liberal folk, but it's mostly conservative. Strangely enough, the town has a very large Mormon population, too, probably at least 10-15%. And no, the quality of life is not that great. The lake may look pretty, but it stinks of goose shit, especially in the summer. There are plenty of shitty neighborhoods and the local government is fucking incompetent. Like weeds, sagebrush, cheatgrass that sticks in your socks like there's no tomorrow, and shitloads of pollinating kocia? Then it's the town for you! Either the guy who wrote that is insane or didn't spend much time there. Then again, they do have the Tree Cafe, which is some of the best damn Chinese food I've ever had.

    3. Re:Washington rain... by Nethead · · Score: 1

      That was about Connell, WA http://www.cityofconnell.com/

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    4. Re:Washington rain... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Regarding the Mormons in eastern Wash...

      I still find it difficult to believe but right across the street from Conhell High Screwl is a Mormon seminary. During various times of the day you'll see various groups of kids taking leave of the public high school and walking across the street to the seminary for religious instruction. The Mormons are pretty much in charge of the public school system there, and nepotism runs rampant in all of the school district centered in Conhell.

    5. Re:Washington rain... by flirzan · · Score: 1

      If you find this difficult to believe, then you've never lived in a community that has a (relatively) large mormon population. This is common practice, and the mormon students have to leave school for one or more classes per day to go get brainwashed across the street. I live in the Tri-Cities (about an hour and a half south of Moses Lake), and I seem to recall that all of the high schools here have these little mini-churches across the street. Of course, it's been 17 years since I was in high school, so things may have changed...

      --
      Twinkies sure taste good for something that is 68% air.
  7. Is the mars one out there as well also is the moon by Joe+The+Dragon · · Score: 1

    Is the mars one out there as well also is the moon landing site near by also?

  8. Video by lancesky · · Score: 1

    Are they shooting in HD or imax. ?

    1. Re:Video by deadaluspark · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Are they shooting in HD or imax. ? Nah, they are using old DVCPro cams. They digest the video from DVCPro tapes to Apple G5's and from there the video is edited in FCP. everything around here is kind of held together by duct tape.
  9. Moses Lake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes. Seattle is in Western Washington. If you drive East from Seattle until you cross over the Cascade Mountains, you find yourself in very different weather: dry and hot in the summer. One time I passed through Moses Lake in August, and the temperature was over 100 degrees F (Seattle was more like 75 or 80 degrees F, IIRC).

    Moses Lake is in the dry part of the state, and there is a decent airport there, so that's probably why NASA is testing there. Yakima would also be a good choice.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Lake,_Washington

    Weather data here:

    http://www.wunderground.com/US/WA/Moses_Lake.html

    Right now it's 77 degrees F in Moses Lake, while it is 63 F in Seattle. (The whole month has been cold and wet. People are calling it "June-uary".)

    As for the famous rain in Seattle, it is indeed exaggerated. But we really do get about nine months out of the year with slate grey overcast; heavy clouds block out the sun. I don't mind; I'm happiest in a dark office writing software. But some people get "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (SAD) from the months of bleak darkness. It sure makes you appreciate the other 3 months, though. And you can always drive over to Eastern Washington for some sun.

    1. Re:Moses Lake by DerekLyons · · Score: 2, Interesting

      But some people get "Seasonal Affective Disorder" (SAD) from the months of bleak darkness.

      Or, as a friend of mine puts it "there is a reason why the Puget Sound area is a petri dish for serial killers".
    2. Re:Moses Lake by interstellar_donkey · · Score: 1

      For being the "dry part", Moses Lake seems to have a lot of agriculture.

      --
      The Internet is generally stupid
    3. Re:Moses Lake by doktor-hladnjak · · Score: 1

      That's because the farm land is irrigated from reservoirs on the Columbia River.

    4. Re:Moses Lake by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Listen to this Californians! Take heed. You don't want to come to Washington! Whatever you do, stay south of Oregon. If you come to Washington, you will die. You've been warned.

  10. Too bad this focused only on vehicles ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    NASA also develops "cool" software that enables autonomous operations.

    Issa, Hans you were nowhere in sight.

    1. Re:Too bad this focused only on vehicles ... by Concerned+Onlooker · · Score: 1

      Oh, you'd be talking about this: CLARAty

      --
      http://www.rootstrikers.org/
  11. No one says it always rains in Washington by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just that it always rains in Seattle.

  12. Get it right by RomulusNR · · Score: 3, Funny

    that's not Washington, that's Eastern Washington.

    --
    Terrorists can attack freedom, but only Congress can destroy it.
  13. It always rains in Washington by jbrader · · Score: 2, Informative

    [i]Don't believe anyone who says it always rains in Washington.[/i][p]Yeah, I live in Pullman, Washingington. The day before yesterday it snowed. Today it was 70 degrees. I wish it was raining.

    --
    You are so boring that when I see you my feet go to sleep.
    1. Re:It always rains in Washington by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude, what's wrong with 70 degrees? That's a NICE temperature!

    2. Re:It always rains in Washington by maglor_83 · · Score: 1

      95 is a nice temperature.

    3. Re:It always rains in Washington by jbrader · · Score: 1

      It's not the temperature I dislike so much as the wild variation. I dislike it so much it made me forget basic spelling and html syntax.

      --
      You are so boring that when I see you my feet go to sleep.
  14. The news site... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    It hurts my eyes!!!

  15. While your in Eastern WA by Bananatree3 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Go visit the LIGO Hanford Observatory. It is one of a handful of places that can detect gravity waves, the kind of waves made by colliding black holes and the like. LIGO is south of Moses lake, and just make sure to check out their public tour times.

    1. Re:While your in Eastern WA by deadaluspark · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yeah, Eastern WA has lots of interesting science installations (and one NSA installation!), yet since most of the populace is farming community there is very little local interest in these things. Honestly, it was me and a friend in the production crew who called NASA and set it up for one of our reporters to go. We just handed it off to the news director once we had gotten in contact with the NASA reps. The news reporters at our station KNEW that this was going on in Moses Lake but didn't think A) that it was in our coverage area, and B) that it just wasn't an interesting story. Fools.

  16. Velocity by je+ne+sais+quoi · · Score: 4, Interesting

    According to Wikipedia, the original lunar rover did about 8 mph. I don't think they mentioned in the video how fast the chariot goes, but it looked pretty slow compared to the rate people were walking next to it. Wouldn't that kind of limit the range they could cover in some practical amount of time? Unless they're planning on outfitting that thing as the lunar equivalent of an RV. Or maybe this is just because it's the prototype and the real one will be faster.

    --
    Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is the war room!
    1. Re:Velocity by deadaluspark · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Those are good questions. I only wish the reporter our station had sent out was smart enough to ask questions like that. Unfortunately, he is clueless on almost entirely everything in reality, and refuses to listen to anyone about anything. Everyone I work with had wanted a longer story with better questions. It seemed really half-ass to us, because we knew it would blow up on Slashdot. So, I guess our opinion about how it should have been handled was different because we're nerds.

    2. Re:Velocity by je+ne+sais+quoi · · Score: 3, Funny

      Unfortunately, he is clueless on almost entirely everything in reality, and refuses to listen to anyone about anything.
      So you're saying he's just like every other reporter? :)
      --
      Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is the war room!
    3. Re:Velocity by deadaluspark · · Score: 1

      i guess thats the message, yes. haha.

    4. Re:Velocity by rcamans · · Score: 5, Insightful

      On the moon, fast is dangerous. There is not much gravity holding you down, so if you speed up a dune, you go sailing off into space for a while. While you are off the ground, you are not in control of your movement, or your landing. So slow is the way to go. Great bounding leaps look cool in videos, but they are a great "here's your sign, stupid".

      --
      wake up and hold your nose
    5. Re:Velocity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Seriously, what the fuck to they need a car for on the moon? It's not like they have any drivethroughs up there.

    6. Re:Velocity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well looks like that is going to be used for building the initial base and carrying a lot of scientific equipment to close exploration sites. I would think they would land everything they need in the area they intend to build so I doubt they need a fast vehicle but rather a truck like the guy said.
      I don't know but I would think they would also bring a faster vehicle later on for scouting and doing long distance type of stuff like the original rovers. The big thing I think they are trying to do is prepare for a permanent lunar base so large sections will need to be moved and even though gravity is about 1/8 of earths stuff is going to weigh a lot. Who knows them might intend to use this single rover for all work to possibly build a foundry on the moon if it they find the right materials.

    7. Re:Velocity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To be fair, reporters do have to cater to the lowest common denominator.

    8. Re:Velocity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From what I've heard Chariot can get up to 35 mph, but it has been speed limited in software so far during testing for safety reasons.

    9. Re:Velocity by hcdejong · · Score: 1

      Of course, since anything worth doing is worth doing quickly.

  17. I wonder by cdomigan · · Score: 2, Funny

    Testing? Or filming...

  18. Side note: Tracking the /. effect by silverpig · · Score: 1

    As of 6:31 pm PDT Views: 209 Thought it might be neat to see how many views the youtube video has as a function of time.

    1. Re:Side note: Tracking the /. effect by deadaluspark · · Score: 1

      You might have to make an approximate estimation. Before I fell asleep last night the video had about 16 views. It may have had more before it hit the frontpage today. I supposed just subtract 16 from final tallies will work.

    2. Re:Side note: Tracking the /. effect by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no one rtfa's anyway :D

  19. Previous Slashdot Article by JPEWdev · · Score: 1

    This was cover a while ago, except they were testing in Huston. Cool to see more footage though.

  20. Re:Gee, thanks... by deadaluspark · · Score: 1

    Note: as I said in original post, the video on the KVEW website was malfunctioning and I personally do not tender the video to the website, so I was unable to attempt to fix it on their website. So, instead I took a hard copy of the tape, converted it and uploaded it to youtube. The video in question as of now still does not exist/work on the KVEW website. Sorry if my own frustration with the website itself came off as stupidity.

  21. Copyright? by KGIII · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I say this not tongue-in-cheek, I'm really curious if you got permission to post this? The reason I ask is not to enable a debate about the merits of copyright but to ensure that you're not going to lose your job over something like this which, really, is very cool. Either way, I thank you very much for the video share and hope that you're not going to get into any trouble at work for any of this.

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    1. Re:Copyright? by Nethead · · Score: 1

      I went to school with the only decent IP lawyer in the area. If he gives KVEW grief then I have some goods on him.

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
    2. Re:Copyright? by KGIII · · Score: 1

      Cool beans 'cause it'd suck balls to have someone get in trouble over something like this. I was more concerned. for their sake, with the employer than I was legal troubles. We are at liberty to discuss the merits of copyright and even patents here online but when the real world rears its ugly head and someone loses a job over it then, well, that'd really suck. I, for one, really really appreciate the share. I've been scouring the 'net for the Mars rover activity in video format that's not CGI crap and while this isn't anything even remotely close to what I've been looking for over the past few weeks this is still really cool to see and I really appreciated it. I'd just hate to see someone get screwed over it but at the end of the video it offered me another video of yet another reporter covering the story I think. (I didn't actually click it as I was called off to keep my g/f company while she fell asleep, I drank and slashdotted, and you now see the result.)

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    3. Re:Copyright? by Nethead · · Score: 1

      No really, this is small market TV. They would kill to get notice like this. I just hope that this may lead to more coverage of science by the station. They are sitting with the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the Battelle Pacific Northwest National Laboratories in their backyard. But most anyone with a clue that grew-up there, left. I did.

      --
      -- I have a private email server in my basement.
  22. Ooooh. by CopaceticOpus · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would link to the original video on the KVEW website [CC], but the video is screwing up on the badly designed, WMP only website.
    So, what are your plans after you get fired?
  23. Holy shit! My hometown in the news! by DurendalMac · · Score: 1

    And it's for a reason other than a school shooting or how the Grant County PUD fucked up the county-wide fiber optic network to an unbelievable degree. Cool!

    1. Re:Holy shit! My hometown in the news! by themushroom · · Score: 2, Funny

      News will be back to normal shortly. ;-)

      --
      Laughter is the Spackle of the Soul.
  24. So you slam your company's website on /. by Liquidrage · · Score: 1

    and get your company's website /.'d

    You have big balls my friend. Either that or your stupid. Or maybe you have photo's of someone at the office? Bah, I could keep guessing here, but seriously, I can't imagine this will make you popular at work.
    Oh, you are right though. The website does suck.

  25. Re:Is the mars one out there as well also is the m by Max+Littlemore · · Score: 1

    Where is the "+/-1 WTF!?!" moderation?

    --
    I don't therefore I'm not.
  26. Another thing... by mark72005 · · Score: 1

    No source, but I heard on the radio a while back that the place where the nickel is mined for toyota's hybrid car batteries is another place where NASA has tested lunar rovers. Carved out of some forest in Canada, if memory serves?

    Anyway, just FWIW

    1. Re:Another thing... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think that's Sudbury, Ontario you're referring to. Home of the Sudbury Structure (Nickel Deposit / asteroid impact (?)), The Big Nickel. It's basically a horrific scarred landscape.
      Quite a shock when you've spent 2 weeks in lush green wilderness, scenic lakes, clean clear air, and end up in the Sea of Tranquility, coughing your lungs inside out.

      AC 'cos this is my first /. post and I haven't signed up yet.

  27. Off-Topic by KGIII · · Score: 1

    Bookmarked CERT. Err... Just 'cause... A search for KGIII will take you to my site, most of the time, where there's a contact link. I don't want to go too far off topic but if you figure you want to rant and go off-topic then I'm ALWAYS willing to engage in digression. Any conversation worth having shouldn't have limits about the topic so long as the new topic somehow returns to the conversation that was started. I am, so you know, still looking at the first two links and likely will be for the next few hours off and on. (I'm insane like that.)

    --
    "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  28. Perfect location by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Moses Lake is the perfect location to stage a mock Moon mission. There's no signs of intelligent life there either.

    1. Re:Perfect location by livewire98801 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Sure there is.

      I-90 goes right through it. I would imagine that intelligent life is seen several times per day if you have a good high-speed camera. . .

      --
      "He may be mad, but there's method in his madness. [...] It's what drives men mad, being methodical." G.K.Chesterton
  29. The real news... by LynnwoodRooster · · Score: 1

    ...is that people actually LIVE where they test those rovers. I guess when we send men to Mars we know where to start looking for volunteers!

    --
    Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
  30. FLV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Flash is not much better.

    1. Re:FLV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah! Animated GIFs FTW!!!

  31. Photos of NASA robots on Moses Lake dunes by rpiquepa · · Score: 0, Troll

    I've selected several photos of the future NASA robotic vehicles for your viewing pleasure.

    1. Re:Photos of NASA robots on Moses Lake dunes by CmdrSammo · · Score: 1

      The ZDNet article just grabs a couple of pics from this 70 image gallery, which has a load of cool pictures.

  32. Mars landing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So that is where they are filming the footage for the Mars landing.

  33. Moses Lake is also where Boeing tests its aircraft by GayBliss · · Score: 1

    Boeing does testing of their aircraft (or at least they did when I worked there) near Moses Lake because there is not much around there. They do things like turn all the engines off on a 747 and see if they can restart them while nose diving towards the ground, and flying them upside down and other fun stuff like that.

  34. Flying bovine by Enzo1977 · · Score: 1

    Watch out for falling cows in adjacent counties.

    --
    I hate all sigs, even this one.
  35. Re:Moses Lake is also where Boeing tests its aircr by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Upside down in a 747? That's gotta be shitloads of fun! I wonder how well the seat belts hold for an extended period of time?

    Awesome!

  36. Re:Gee, thanks... by initdeep · · Score: 1

    between your obvious disdain for the stations website, your obvious feelings toward the reporter in question, the implied feelings toward the rest of the "non-geek" people at the station, all taken from your posts within this thread, you might want to hope that none of the higher ups where you work become aware of this article.

    After all, you do come off as someone not really happy about where you work, and they can always fix that for you......

    I'm just sayin'.........

  37. Obligatory: by Protometheus · · Score: 1

    That's no moon!

  38. Hoax by PingPongBoy · · Score: 1

    So instead of making the videos on earth and saying they went to the moon, they're now just saying they did it all on terra firma.

    OK, I believe they did go to the moon, but if they didn't I wonder why the hoaxing stopped.

    --
    Know your pads. One time pad: good for cryptography. Two timing pad: where to take your mistress.