Curiosity begins the long drive to its primary mission destination

[smurfy]

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/doaw.jpg[/img]

[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23230867[/url]
[quote]Nasa's Curiosity Mars rover has finally begun the long drive to its primary mission destination - Mount Sharp.

For the past seven months, it has been investigating a site just east of its August 2012 touchdown point, drilling rocks and analysing their composition.

But scientists have now decided it is time for Curiosity to get rolling.

On Friday, engineers commanded the vehicle to make an 18m drive. On Monday it travelled 40m. It will however take many months to reach Mount Sharp.

The rover has to steer clear of a long bank of sand dunes that represent a potential trap. The intention also is to get to a specific site where satellites have indicated there are layers of sediment that were most likely laid down in water.[/quote]

[TehDoctorz]

Thought this was about that stupid fuckin cube.

[Provost]

"Are we there yet"?

"Are we there yet"?

"Are we there yet"?

[Eltro102]

I hope curiosity lasts as long as, or longer than [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_(rover)"]Opportunity[/URL]

will its current drive break the current record?

[JXZ]

why does it move so slowly?

[Provost]

[QUOTE=JXZ;41366211]why does it move so slowly?[/QUOTE]

electric power instead of gas, low speed/high torque motors for difficult terrain, lots of delicate instruments that could break if it goes too fast, etc. etc.

[Eltro102]

[QUOTE=Psychokitten;41366232]collected solar power instead of gas[/QUOTE]

curiosity is raidoisotope powered

[editline]8th July 2013[/editline]

[QUOTE=JXZ;41366211]why does it move so slowly?[/QUOTE]

they can't risk it getting stuck

[Provost]

[QUOTE=Eltro102;41366258]curiosity is raidoisotope powered[/QUOTE]

holy crap I forgot

EDIT: now that I think about it, it doesn't even have solar panels in the picture

I hate being dumb

[DireWolf]

[QUOTE=Psychokitten;41366290]holy crap I forgot

EDIT: now that I think about it, it doesn't even have solar panels in the picture

I hate being dumb[/QUOTE]

Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid.

[Interrobang]

[QUOTE=Eltro102;41366258]curiosity is raidoisotope powered

[editline]8th July 2013[/editline]

they can't risk it getting stuck[/QUOTE]

strap some rockets to that shit

and pray

[Joazzz]

[QUOTE=Arthamus;41366317]strap some rockets to that shit

and pray[/QUOTE]nah, should have just painted it red

[ViralHatred]

[QUOTE=Arthamus;41366317]strap some rockets to that shit

and pray[/QUOTE]

They did that once sending it to Mars and it was really fucking difficult.

[Interrobang]

[QUOTE=ViralHatred;41366605]They did that once sending it to Mars and it was really fucking difficult.[/QUOTE]

do it again

[Provost]

[QUOTE=Joazzz;41366497]nah, should have just painted it red[/QUOTE]

post and avatar go nicely together

[[EG] Pepper]

[QUOTE=Joazzz;41366497]nah, should have just painted it red[/QUOTE]

Paint go faster stripes on it!

[SatansSin]

[QUOTE=Arthamus;41366317]strap some rockets to that shit

and pray[/QUOTE]

Then have your standard TV redneck yell; 'MURICA, FER FREEDOM ON DAT DEVIL PLANET!

[mblunk]

[QUOTE=Psychokitten;41366290]holy crap I forgot

EDIT: now that I think about it, it doesn't even have solar panels in the picture

I hate being dumb[/QUOTE]

Curiosity's RTG power source generates ~125 watts, just enough to light two standard 60 W incandescent light bulbs. One horsepower is 745 W, yet the rover weighs 1980 pounds, so it's kind of like a mini cooper with a 0.2 horsepower engine. Mini coopers aren't even fast with the stock 110hp i4...

[redBadger]

Need some underglow on that bitch.

[joost1120]

[QUOTE=Eltro102;41366258]curiosity is raidoisotope powered

[editline]8th July 2013[/editline]

they can't risk it getting stuck[/QUOTE]

They should use that for mobile phones.

[Eltro102]

have fun causing a mild environmental catastrophe every time you drop your mobile phone in the toilet/ throw it away into the bin/ mindlessly suck on the battery

[Roll_Program]

Nevermind.

[Jeep-Eep]

[video=youtube;uHZJej98_T0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHZJej98_T0[/video]
Thread theme.

[DesolateGrun]

[QUOTE=Eltro102;41366175]I hope curiosity lasts as long as, or longer than [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_(rover)"]Opportunity[/URL]

will its current drive break the current record?[/QUOTE]

it doesn't run on solar panels so it will die in when the radioactive battery dies

[demoguy08]

If the robot is on Mars how did they get that picture??? i knew it it's all done in a studio just like the original 'moon landing'

edit

how dare you rate me dumb?? can you prove me wrong? no? didn't think so!

[JennyC6]

It's be fuckin' awesome if they could meet up and convoy with one of the older rovers. Heh. Can't wait to see what it finds as it trundles along.

[QUOTE=Jeep-Eep;41367501][video=youtube;uHZJej98_T0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHZJej98_T0[/video]
Thread theme.[/QUOTE]

Oh dammit I was gonna post that! :v:

[editline]8th July 2013[/editline]

[QUOTE=Psychokitten;41366232]lots of delicate instruments that could break if it goes too fast[/QUOTE]

I somehow doubt the instruments are [i]that[/i] delicate. Given what it had to endure to get to Mars in the first place a bit of a high-speed trundle wouldn't hurt them at all.

It'd be more "Could the suspension cope with doing 45MPH across the Martian surface?" and less "Would the instruments survive 45MPH across the Martian surface?". The instruments would shrug it off, after all they did survive the rocket trip there.

[Mr Skeltal]

40 meters or 40 miles?

[mblunk]

[QUOTE=IliekBoxes;41368489]40 meters or 40 miles?[/QUOTE]

Meters

[DesolateGrun]

[QUOTE=TestECull;41368386]It's be fuckin' awesome if they could meet up and convoy with one of the older rovers. Heh. Can't wait to see what it finds as it trundles along.

Oh dammit I was gonna post that! :v:

[editline]8th July 2013[/editline]

I somehow doubt the instruments are [i]that[/i] delicate. Given what it had to endure to get to Mars in the first place a bit of a high-speed trundle wouldn't hurt them at all.

It'd be more "Could the suspension cope with doing 45MPH across the Martian surface?" and less "Would the instruments survive 45MPH across the Martian surface?". The instruments would shrug it off, after all they did survive the rocket trip there.[/QUOTE]

some pebbles got kicked up during the landing and broke a wind sensor

[CaptainJL]

[QUOTE=demoguy08;41368377]If the robot is on Mars how did they get that picture??? i knew it it's all done in a studio just like the original 'moon landing'

edit

how dare you rate me dumb?? can you prove me wrong? no? didn't think so![/QUOTE]
I'm honestly having a hard time telling if you're being sarcastic or not. Regardless, the image in the OP is a mock-up before the rover was sent to Mars. Kind of looks like it might be CGI, actually.

[Squad]

[QUOTE=TestECull;41368386]It's be fuckin' awesome if they could meet up and convoy with one of the older rovers. Heh. Can't wait to see what it finds as it trundles along.

Oh dammit I was gonna post that! :v:

[editline]8th July 2013[/editline]

I somehow doubt the instruments are [i]that[/i] delicate. Given what it had to endure to get to Mars in the first place a bit of a high-speed trundle wouldn't hurt them at all.

It'd be more "Could the suspension cope with doing 45MPH across the Martian surface?" and less "Would the instruments survive 45MPH across the Martian surface?". The instruments would shrug it off, after all they did survive the rocket trip there.[/QUOTE]

Working in a lab, I can tell you these instruments break sitting on a table... I don't even want to imagine the nightmare of making them a part of a rover...