― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 4 January 2004 19:56 (twenty years ago) link
What's interesting about the view is that, of course, it seems so understated and almost normal -- if you said this was in a sandy, rocky desert somewhere on Earth, for instance, then most wouldn't think much of it. But it's a classic example of how something seemingly banal very much isn't -- literally no human ever saw this or had any capacity to see this until twelve hours ago.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:00 (twenty years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:01 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:05 (twenty years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:06 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:07 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:08 (twenty years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:11 (twenty years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 4 January 2004 20:12 (twenty years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 4 January 2004 21:34 (twenty years ago) link
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/all/2/r/001/2R126468012EDN0000P1002L0M1.JPG
― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 4 January 2004 21:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 21:37 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 22:14 (twenty years ago) link
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040104b/new_cyl-A1R1.jpg
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 22:26 (twenty years ago) link
They're about to wake up Spirit for today with some burst of music...but what? (Interesting psychological fact learned: JPL staff work shifts to match Mars time rather than earth time, so they do things like black out the windows, let people sleep and work on site, etc.)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 22:29 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 January 2004 22:39 (twenty years ago) link
(cue Man Or Astroman's "BigTrak Attack")
http://www.stuffwelove.co.uk/images/bigtrak%20montage.jpg
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Monday, 5 January 2004 01:23 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 5 January 2004 03:07 (twenty years ago) link
Another press conference is at 9:00 AM California time, and they said color images will be available today.
Wake-up time for the rover is this afternoon, US time.
I want a Mars clock!
― Kerry (dymaxia), Monday, 5 January 2004 15:27 (twenty years ago) link
― Kerry (dymaxia), Monday, 5 January 2004 15:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Kerry (dymaxia), Monday, 5 January 2004 17:00 (twenty years ago) link
― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Monday, 5 January 2004 19:18 (twenty years ago) link
― Kerry (dymaxia), Monday, 5 January 2004 20:44 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 5 January 2004 20:45 (twenty years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Monday, 5 January 2004 20:52 (twenty years ago) link
― bnw (bnw), Monday, 5 January 2004 21:09 (twenty years ago) link
I've had NASA TV on all day, and not much has happened yet. I watched it until midnight, and then they put Spirit to sleep. It is about sunrise on MER1 right now, and they will wake it up at around 3 PM Pacific time.
They said that color images should be coming in tonight.
I saw the NOVA special last night, and they are having part 2 tomorrow night.
― Kerry (dymaxia), Monday, 5 January 2004 21:42 (twenty years ago) link
― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 5 January 2004 22:15 (twenty years ago) link
― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Monday, 5 January 2004 23:24 (twenty years ago) link
Yesterday, they showed an animation of what human exploration of Mars might look like.
They also talked about a probe that will land on one of Saturn's moons this summer.
― Kerry (dymaxia), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 15:29 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 15:30 (twenty years ago) link
― Kerry (dymaxia), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 17:05 (twenty years ago) link
Is that really how the sky looks?
― bnw (bnw), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 20:37 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 20:44 (twenty years ago) link
― bnw (bnw), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 21:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Kerry (dymaxia), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 21:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 22:04 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 22:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Kerry (dymaxia), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 22:44 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 22:45 (twenty years ago) link
Anyway I missed the PBS show last night, any highlights?
― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 14:49 (twenty years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 14:58 (twenty years ago) link
― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 15:11 (twenty years ago) link
I thought it was odd that we don't have anything lined up going to Venus until I found out that Venus is actually hotter than Mercury, who knew?
Well yeah, but I wouldn't be surprised if plans are in the works. Technology has improved mucho in the last 10 years. There might be a stronger metal created that can stand up to the high heat.
― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 15:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 15:27 (twenty years ago) link
― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 16:05 (twenty years ago) link
― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 16:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 16:36 (twenty years ago) link
I am towering or something.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 30 January 2010 19:08 (fourteen years ago) link
opportunity, i <3 u, lil guy
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/news/mer20100519.html
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Project will pass a historic Martian longevity record on Thursday, May 20. The Opportunity rover will surpass the duration record set by NASA's Viking 1 Lander of six years and 116 days operating on the surface of Mars. The effects of favorable weather on the red planet could also help the rovers generate more power.
Opportunity, and likely Spirit, surpassing the Viking Lander 1 longevity record is truly remarkable, considering these rovers were designed for only a 90-day mission on the surface of Mars," Callas said.
― rahni, Friday, 21 May 2010 23:29 (fourteen years ago) link
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/455868main_pia13147-full.jpg
― rahni, Friday, 21 May 2010 23:30 (fourteen years ago) link
wall-e
― Jarlrmai, Saturday, 22 May 2010 00:30 (fourteen years ago) link
My boss and CSO of the startup I work for worked on the batteries for Spirit and Opportunity, he was pretty chuffed about this today.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Saturday, 22 May 2010 00:42 (fourteen years ago) link
here comes Curiosity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wkq_Y2I2-M&feature=player_embedded
The Curiosity Rover will be launched in late 2011 and land on Mars in August of 2012.
― harl (harlan), Wednesday, 6 April 2011 02:55 (thirteen years ago) link
Nice!
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 6 April 2011 03:06 (thirteen years ago) link
Meantime, the Spirit mission is about to come to a formal close. Opportunity still thrives.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 25 May 2011 05:06 (thirteen years ago) link
Didn't know that Spirit was moonlighting as a nighttime telescope.
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 22 August 2012 00:48 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-says-mars-mystery-rock-that-appeared-from-nowhere-is-like-nothing-weve-ever-seen-before-9070323.html
― StanM, Sunday, 19 January 2014 22:11 (ten years ago) link
I, for one, welcome our new donut overlords etc
― StanM, Sunday, 19 January 2014 22:12 (ten years ago) link
The view from the Opportunity rover a couple of days ago
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/2014/03/13469862903_d57d32399c_o.jpg
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 1 April 2014 11:34 (ten years ago) link
Also some handy wind/dust devils cleaned off the solar panels so it's gained a lot of power
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 1 April 2014 11:41 (ten years ago) link
And now his watch is ended.
To the robot who turned 90 days into 15 years of exploration:You were, and are, the Opportunity of a lifetime.Rest well, rover. Your mission is complete.(2004-2019)https://t.co/POzRmYauHo#ThanksOppy pic.twitter.com/oZLBc7XMJD— Spirit and Oppy (@MarsRovers) February 13, 2019
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 13 February 2019 19:09 (five years ago) link
rip big man
― a surprise challenge that ended with a gunging (bizarro gazzara), Wednesday, 13 February 2019 21:54 (five years ago) link
NYT article worth the scroll-through on a big screenhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/02/13/science/opportunity-rover-mars-map.html
I think this would be the last photo sent back. https://mars.nasa.gov/mer/gallery/all/1/f/5104/1F581290682EFFD2FCP1110L0M1.HTML
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 14 February 2019 03:55 (five years ago) link
If I had a flying saucer I'd totally go out there with a couple cans of dust-off.
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 14 February 2019 03:56 (five years ago) link