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Curiosity Gearing Up for Drive to Next Study Location

Posted by samzenpus on from the warming-up-the-engines dept.

Curiosity has spent most of the past 5 weeks running instrument and system checks, but on Friday that is all scheduled to change. The plan is to "drive, drive, drive" until a suitable rock for the rover's first robotic "hands-on" analysis is found, says mission manager Jennifer Trosper. The rover will head to a location about 1,300 feet away labeled "Glenelg," where three different types of rock intersect.

8 of 73 comments (clear)

  1. Ah, Ye Olden Times. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The rover will head to a location about 1,300 feet away...

    That be 12/36ths of a cubit, multiplied by four and 1/4 rods, then minus sixteen and 1/8th hogsheads.

    1. Re:Ah, Ye Olden Times. by isorox · · Score: 5, Funny

      When you put a rover on Mars, you can pick whatever units you want.

      That worked out so well for the Mars Climate Orbiter

    2. Re:Ah, Ye Olden Times. by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Funny

      When are American's going to grow up?

      When you stop abusing the apostrophe.

      --
      systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    3. Re:Ah, Ye Olden Times. by NotSanguine · · Score: 3, Funny

      What is that in a civilized unit of measure?

      When are American's going to grow up?

      It's Americans, not American's and that's a very good question.

      Also, 1m=3.275ft, so 1300 feet = 396.95m or 1.97 furlongs.

      --
      No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
    4. Re:Ah, Ye Olden Times. by felipekk · · Score: 5, Funny

      I know it's a different one, but still oblig:

      http://xkcd.com/695/

  2. Lazy scientists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Taking a car when they could have just walked 400 meters. Don't they think of the environment?

  3. what hands? by FranTaylor · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't see hands on the ends of those robot arms. I don't know what they are talking about.

    The robot devil had to sign a deal with Fry to get hands.

  4. Glenelg? by aglider · · Score: 3, Funny

    Curiosity will certainly end up in a palindrome loop!

    --
    Sent as ripples into the electromagnetic field. No single photon has been harmed in the process.