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Curiosity Rover Fires First Laser Beam At Martian Rock
A martian rock named "Coronation" was shot with 30 pulses over a 10-second period by Curiosity's laser today in order to determine what elements it was made of. “We got a great spectrum of Coronation — lots of signal,” Roger Wiens of Los Alamos National Laboratory, leader of the ChemCam scientific team, said in a press release today. “Our team is both thrilled and working hard, looking at the results. After eight years building the instrument, it’s payoff time!” Another rock known as N165 was selected for later testing.
How long until we send a Bagger 288 to mars? That'll show those rocks what for.
You folks realize that this is very likely to result in a Council of War from the Elders. It's bad enough to litter the landscape with Earthling detritus, but offensive weaponry on innocent and passive Martian rocks cannot be tolerated!
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
What if the martians ARE rocks?!
So this is how Curiosity kills cats? I guess the next mission needs to be called Satisfaction.
Bill - aka taniwha
--
Leave others their otherness. -- Aratak
In my experience of shooting lasers at rocks, there's usually a chance of finding a health pack or some coins.
> A martian rock named "Coronation" was shot with 30 pulses
ZAPPED, God damn it!
Robots on Mars with freakin' laser beams and claws zap things!
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
Out here we know...don't name it if you're gonna shoot it.
We've put on Mars a large machine that blasts the landscape with a heat ray. A heat ray. And we have set the example that such a machine can be robotic, and impervious to microbes. That's sure to end well.
I wrote parts of this stuff
There was supposed to be an EARTH-SHATTERING BOOM!!!
Does it shoot back?
No. But what you didn't read about the Curiosity Rover landing was how the got the shark with the laser there.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
My word! The only good thing about Woking is the fast service into London. The fiends!
You know your technological civilization has reached a certain level when you send a robot to another planet to shoot shit with fricken lasers.
Early days yet, can only sizzle a bit of rock. Today, some scientific samples, tomorrow the galaxy!
After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
I'm still waiting for the earth shattering kaboom. There was supposed to be an earth shattering kaboom. Especially if it tests a rock with illudium Q-36 in it.
Have gnu, will travel.
damned kids, get off my lawn.
Yea, I have given my two cents so often that, perhaps, I have contributed $5.00. So, that gives me rights!
NASA should offer the chance to laser-engrave your name on a Martian rock. For megabucks, they could write your name in giant cursive with the rover's wheel tracks; all applications must include a program written in LOGO.
Wait for the George Lucas remastered documentary, and the rock will have fired first.
Sorry about crashing in on you, we come in peace, I promise. I'll just fire my laser for a while over there. No hard feelings right?