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Curiosity Starts Driving

Posted by Soulskill on from the don't-run-over-any-cats dept.

littlesparkvt tips news that the Curiosity Mars rover began driving today at Bradbury Landing in Gale Crater. The rover rolled forward about 4.5 meters, then stopped, rotated 120 degrees, and rolled another 2.5 meters. The article has a picture of the rover's tracks in the Martian dust, and you can browse the image gallery or raw image feed for more. Matt Heverly, the rover's lead driver, confirmed that the mobility system is functioning perfectly in the lead-up to its first major land trek. "Curiosity will spend several more days of working beside Bradbury Landing, performing instrument checks and studying the surroundings, before embarking toward its first driving destination approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters) to the east-southeast." Reader redletterdave adds news that NASA has released an enhanced video of Curiosity's descent from space, which is pretty cool to watch. There was also some minor bad news yesterday; one of the wind speed sensors on the REMS weather instruments was permanently damaged during landing. Emily Lakdawalla explains,"The reason there were two is that it helped triangulate wind speed and also improve accuracy of wind speed measurements when one of the booms is aimed windward or leeward. So the quality of the wind speed data will be harmed, but there will still be wind speed data."

35 comments

  1. The question is: by OhSoLaMeow · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will it turn off its turn signal?

    --
    They can take my LifeAlert pendant when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
    1. Re:The question is: by daremonai · · Score: 1

      I'm more concerned about whether it will be talking on its cell phone (ok, X band radio) while driving. I'd hate to see it crash because of distracted driving.

  2. What's the plan? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    What is Curiosity's "I've got to disappear" plan?

  3. Curiosity Starts Driving by neoshroom · · Score: 5, Funny

    Tragically, it ran over a cat, who perished.

    --
    Big apple, new Yorik, undig it, something's unrotting in Edenmark.
    1. Re:Curiosity Starts Driving by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tragically, it ran over a cat, who perished.

      Toonces does not like this. :(

    2. Re:Curiosity Starts Driving by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      it ran over a cat, who perished.

      It had to in order to end the pussy riots, lest they damage another weather vane.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  4. Uh... what? by mark-t · · Score: 1

    I thought that Curiosity was nuclear. What's the point of having a plutonium battery if it's not gonna do a clean 88 miles per hour?

    --
    File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    1. Re:Uh... what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The Pu power source makes about 100W of electricity and keep the rover warm. The purpose of slow speed is not to hit things, not to use lot of power, AND because that is completely unnecessary.

      And your reference to "Back to the Future" is getting old.

    2. Re:Uh... what? by wierd_w · · Score: 2

      It just needs to get back to 1985, where it will be hip and edgy again!

    3. Re:Uh... what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And your reference to "Back to the Future" is getting old.

      I know you are, but what am.... oh, shit. Wrong movie.

    4. Re:Uh... what? by dywolf · · Score: 1

      Just because you kids dont appreciate classic movies, we're supposed to stop? Stuff that.

      And who modded Buzz "AC" Killington here as insightful? Holy crap. Someone is just slapping that tag on everything, the way gammy does Frank's Red Hot Sauce.

      --
      The guy who said the election was rigged won the presidency with the second-most votes.
  5. Curiosity to JPL by ve3oat · · Score: 2

    Aren't we there yet?

  6. Minor indeed! by game+kid · · Score: 2

    There was also some minor bad news yesterday; one of the wind speed sensors on the REMS weather instruments was permanently damaged during landing. Emily Lakdawalla explains,"The reason there were two is that it helped triangulate wind speed and also improve accuracy of wind speed measurements when one of the booms is aimed windward or leeward. So the quality of the wind speed data will be harmed, but there will still be wind speed data."

    Minor indeed; that any part of that rover is still functional after that landing (and the US's perverse budget) is a testament to the general badassery of the engineers, programmers, and builders behind that thing.

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
    1. Re:Minor indeed! by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Most of the rover was built during the minor boom years* of the mid 2000's. Thus, budget was not really the same issue as it is today. But I agree it's amazing that more hasn't gone wrong with the complexity of both the rover and the landing involved.

      A sky-crane was used instead of a Viking-style landing to avoid kicking up too much debris near the vehicle.

      However, most of the thrust would then be underneath, not to the side like the sky-crane gave. Thus, less vehicle-deck-directed pebbles would be kicked up it seems if they did a Viking-style landing, but more (local) dust.

      Being they speculate flying pebbles caused the wind-sensor damage based on pebbles found on deck, perhaps the Viking approach is not so bad after all, relatively speaking. A dust bath may be better than a pebble bath.

      * "Bubble years" may be a better description.
         

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    2. Re:Minor indeed! by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      In the various videos etc it looked like the thrusters on the crane were angled outward, if so I imagine it would kick up less stuff in the landing zone itself than landing on top of a torch... Either way you're getting pebbles. Irregularly-shaped rocks bouncing off irregularly-shaped surfaces can exhibit all kinds of crazy behavior. The fuel filter in my 300SD developed a dent with accompanying pinhole which from what I can tell is due to rock damage, and it's not mounted particularly low, but my county should just have a sign that says "loose rock and gravel" at each entrance...

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:Minor indeed! by Tablizer · · Score: 1

      The landing area there appears relatively smooth such that there's little for debris to bounce off, at least until the thrusters blow away the top soil, but then you have problems either way. Then again, it's hard to know what's at a landing spot until you get there.

      I just wonder if the complexity of a crane couldn't be put into protective covers instead.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
  7. Great Scott! by neoshroom · · Score: 4, Funny

    The purpose of slow speed is not to hit things, not to use lot of power, AND because that is completely unnecessary. And your reference to "Back to the Future" is getting old.

    I read your reply as "Roads ... where we're going, we don't need roads."

    --
    Big apple, new Yorik, undig it, something's unrotting in Edenmark.
  8. Doin' Donuts, hacked? by Tablizer · · Score: 1, Funny

    My /. prophecy came true:

    http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3045879&cid=40980565

    The rover is doing donuts:

    http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/images/PIA16095_Hazcamtracks-br.jpg

    For my next prediction, the rover will find another Mitt Romney tax haven, on Mars.

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
    1. Re:Doin' Donuts, hacked? by RaceProUK · · Score: 2

      The rover is doing donuts:

      http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/images/PIA16095_Hazcamtracks-br.jpg

      Hopefully they do a few powerslides next, and maybe a some number 11's.

      --
      No colour or religion ever stopped the bullet from a gun
  9. Making calls by roman_mir · · Score: 2

    I hope it's not calling home and driving at the same time, it can get a ticket.

    --
    You can't handle the truth.
    1. Re:Making calls by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I hope it's not calling home and driving at the same time, it can get a ticket.

      The Council has already issued a citation.

  10. Still in the driveway by aNonnyMouseCowered · · Score: 1

    It won't. At the speed it's moving, the rover is still in the driveway. Maybe they should call it a crawler.

  11. It's working! by SternisheFan · · Score: 1

    All right, Curiosity IS getting itself ready to roll, cool! Looks like everything (except the windspeed instrument detector) works as designed, so now it's gonna be at least 2 years of steady data and discovery constantly streaming into scientific centers AND homes all over the world! In so many ways, the human race is at such an important time in it's history. It certainly qualifies as "a time of great learning". I can't wait to see and learn what happens next!

    1. Re:It's working! by SternisheFan · · Score: 2

      We're exploring Mars, and to think it all started with a ride on a bi-plane... http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=KcuDdPo0WZk

  12. "AAA? It's about time you got here!" by kackle · · Score: 1

    Good. Now send it to "unstick" the other rover...

  13. SLOW DOWN!!! by sjames · · Score: 1

    Watch out for that stop sign!!!!!

    DAAAAAAAaaadD! It's fine!

    OH, you mean the Mars probe.

  14. Re:Big whoop! by riverat1 · · Score: 1

    And $100,000* wasted trying to educate you.

    *My wild ass guess at how much is spent per person for a K-12 education.

  15. Really? by byrtolet · · Score: 1

    I thought curiosity killed the cat...

  16. Wheres the Audio? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anyone else have this issue?

    Maybe I need to reinstall flash?

    In space, no one can hear you scream. On Mars, turn up your hearing aid!

  17. When do we send a tow truck? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    When are we sending a tow truck to unstick that other rover, maybe refill the tires... Wash the windows^Wsolar panels...

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  18. That's how we roll by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    6-wheel drive and nuclear power. Oh yeaaaah.

  19. Autobots! by jdigriz · · Score: 1

    Roll out!

  20. Re:Big whoop! by mcgrew · · Score: 1

    Please don't feed the troll, he's too fat already.

    --
    Free Martian Whores!
  21. They're not going to find anything, you see by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And the jokes show we know this already. Looking for bacteria on Mars is like searching for brains at NASA.