The NASA Curiosity Rover on Mars

That's true, if the instrument itself needs to be exposed, then having covers that need to be taken off just adds another element of complexity that can fail.

And just as Curiosity is taking its first baby steps on Mars, the first man on the moon has died.

RIP Neil Armstrong. At least he lived to see this.

I am actually saddened by that. :(

There's now a thread for this. Let's not derail this one.

(But since I'm posting already, I guess I might as well say that I'm saddened by this, too.)

Another version of the descent video, this time with an artificially enhanced frame-rate and some really nice music.

It's hard to tell just how far off the ground Curiosity is in that video, due to Mars being so barren that it looks the same miles up as it does on the surface.

I run into that same problem in Kerbal Space Program. The ground looked so far away...poor guy

Curiosity finds "uncomformity" in the geological strata, sends back image of Mount Sharp, raps

edited 28th Aug '12 8:08:28 AM by TheBatPencil

I hope those pictures(even if they are edited) stop hollywood from using that trope where mars looks red because of sandstorm or whatever

Ooh. So proof of seismic activity?

Martian molemen is my bet.

Mars rover beams new will.i.am song

Wouldn't 'highwy to hell' have been more appropriate?

edited 28th Aug '12 8:24:14 PM by Joesolo

That was very good.

Surely to all fuck this was the obvious choice?

Or Space Oddity. That too would have been fantastic.

How did we miss this once-in-a-generation chance?! When are we ever going to get the opportunity to do something this awesome again?

edited 29th Aug '12 8:12:05 AM by TheBatPencil

...space oddity is about a astronaut dying in space...

Still kicks ass.

it does, but I dont think Nasa will be playing it anytime soon. I mean, maybe as a funeral song, but not much else.

x4 Or "Starman" or "Ziggy Stardust". Wouldn't it be neat if they found spiders?

From the title and lyrics I always assumed that it was a take on the movie 2001: A Space Oddessy and that he wasn't dying but transcending to another plane. Although yeah, from "ground control"'s perspective he was probably dead.

edited 1st Sep '12 12:03:47 PM by tricksterson

am I thinking of the wrong song?

.*finds the lyrics* Nope. I forgot about the end bit though. You have a good point there. It does seem like what you said. Unless he's halucinating as he runs out of oxygen.

edited 29th Aug '12 4:38:22 PM by Joesolo

Maybe a stupid question, but why are we playing songs on Mars?

For Science!, of course!

Because we're total nerds?

Who picked the song, though? Did they take a vote or something?

I fear that this was an instance of "Look, we've got an opportunity to set a series of records with minimal effort. We might as well do it."

I'm just narked that it was a bloody will.i.am song. The man is an insufferable douche.

If I was David Bowie, I would feel very cheated right up to the moment that I remembered that I was David Bowie.