ESA releases spectacular Mars flyover video after probe’s 12,500 trips around the planet - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Mars Express was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2003 on a mission to explore the surface of the Red Planet from both orbit and ground level. The ground-based inspection didn’t exactly go to plan, but that hasn’t stopped the probe from spending a decade painstakingly mapping the surface of Mars from every conceivable angle. Now the ESA has assembled a video based on the topographical data gathered by Mars Express, the effect of which is like flying over the sweeping plains of Mars. The video is part of the celebrations around the probe’s 10-year anniversary, which started in June of this year. The craft didn’t actually make it to Mars until the end of 2003, so we’re also nearing the 10 year mark of its data collection activities. Mars Express has orbited the planet almost 12,500 times since its arrival and has mapped almost the entire surface of Mars.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Mars.jpg[/IMG] [url]http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/169732-esa-releases-spectacular-mars-flyover-video-after-12500-trips-around-the-planet[/url] [video=youtube;XOPUdZtnt24]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOPUdZtnt24[/video]

I was expecting it to be actual flight footage and not a rendering based on topographical data. I'm a little disappointed.

[QUOTE=kidwithsword;42684649]I was expecting it to be actual flight footage and not a rendering based on topographical data. I'm a little disappointed.[/QUOTE] Holy fuck what? This is what [b]another planet[/b] looks like! How can you be disappointed! And it's not some 'artist rendition' either if it is to be believed, this is reality. This is not disappointing, this is fucking awesome.

[QUOTE=commander204;42684672]Holy fuck what? This is what [b]another planet[/b] looks like! How can you be disappointed! And it's not some 'artist rendition' either if it is to be believed, this is reality. This is not disappointing, this is fucking awesome.[/QUOTE] But it's "just" a 3d-render. Seeing the real footage from the probes is way more exciting, even if it's less cinematic (or maybe that's exactly the reason).

[QUOTE=DrDevil;42684690]But it's "just" a 3d-render. Seeing the real footage from the probes is way more exciting, even if it's less cinematic (or maybe that's exactly the reason).[/QUOTE] the probes don't take video that would be incredibly inefficient and also incredibly boring (the data here took 12.5k orbits with each orbit taking 7.5 hours)

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;42684708]the probes don't take video that would be incredibly inefficient and also incredibly boring (the data here took 12.5k orbits with each orbit taking 7.5 hours)[/QUOTE] They take a series of photos, which can be stitched together to a timelapse.

[QUOTE=DrDevil;42684723]They take a series of photos, which can be stitched together to a timelapse.[/QUOTE] there's no smooth transition between the photos - turning them into video frames would leave you with an incomprehensible mess of flashing heightmaps

Even though this is a 3D rendering, I think it's absolutely amazing. This is [I]very close[/I] to what Mars would actually look like if you soared above the surface like that. And in my opinion it's absolutely beautiful.

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;42684735]there's no smooth transition between the photos - turning them into video frames would leave you with an incomprehensible mess of flashing heightmaps[/QUOTE] Don't you think that what he is referring to, is that they should have done something like what JAXA did on the moon a few years back, when they sent a probe with a HD video recorder to the moon? [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaqzefTnqRM[/url] (I can't find the actual HD footage so have a nasty 244p instead)

Here's a few stitched videos from Mars orbit (quite eccentric orbits though) if anyone was expecting something like that: [video=youtube;v06EmDQcsy0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v06EmDQcsy0[/video] [video=youtube;wDfj07zYSY0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDfj07zYSY0[/video]

so many craters...

[QUOTE=DrDevil;42684690]But it's "just" a 3d-render. Seeing the real footage from the probes is way more exciting, even if it's less cinematic (or maybe that's exactly the reason).[/QUOTE] The data is most likely not collected in visible spectrum and low quality. [editline]29th October 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Killuah;42685135]The data is most likely not collected in visible spectrum and low quality.[/QUOTE] Yep: [url]http://www.geoinf.fu-berlin.de/eng/projects/mars/index.php[/url]

[QUOTE=commander204;42684672]Holy fuck what? This is what [b]another planet[/b] looks like! How can you be disappointed! And it's not some 'artist rendition' either if it is to be believed, this is reality. This is not disappointing, this is fucking awesome.[/QUOTE] Renders don't impress me. You know what I find both more impressive and more beautiful than this entire video? This photo that was taken from the goddamn surface of Titan. [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Huygens_surface_color.jpg[/img] This is fucking awesome.

[QUOTE=kidwithsword;42685494]Renders don't impress me. You know what I find both more impressive and more beautiful than this entire video? This photo that was taken from the goddamn surface of Titan. [IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Huygens_surface_color.jpg[/IMG] This is fucking awesome.[/QUOTE] it's a fucking space probe how in gods name is it going to take a picture from surface? there are lots of pictures from the Martian surface at any rate [editline]29th October 2013[/editline] it's a very expensive topological study not a sight-seeing tour, the render is simply a side-product which they did because they had the data to make it

i was kinda expecting for the video to be a stitch togather of its best photos over the 10 years, i mean its kinda like how voyager isn't shown off with a bunch of 3D renders, but actual photos of the planets spinning as they get in closer [editline]29th October 2013[/editline] we should probe venus more, something tells me with today's high temperature materials, we could make it work and land without crushing or melting

[QUOTE=Sableye;42686775]i was kinda expecting for the video to be a stitch togather of its best photos over the 10 years, i mean its kinda like how voyager isn't shown off with a bunch of 3D renders, but actual photos of the planets spinning as they get in closer [editline]29th October 2013[/editline] we should probe venus more, something tells me with today's high temperature materials, we could make it work and land without crushing or melting[/QUOTE] the big problem is the sulphuric acid - nothing can stand up to all three of those things. metal will take the heat and pressure and a good polymer can take the acid but the fact is that venus is a truly hateful place you could probably make a structure that would last on venus for a while with enough money, but the electronics or mechanics (wheels) simply wont last long

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;42684735]there's no smooth transition between the photos - turning them into video frames would leave you with an incomprehensible mess of flashing heightmaps[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Killuah;42685135]The data is most likely not collected in visible spectrum and low quality. [editline]29th October 2013[/editline] Yep: [url]http://www.geoinf.fu-berlin.de/eng/projects/mars/index.php[/url][/QUOTE] You're missing the point, we assumed this was about timelapse footage used in some special way from a probe in orbit. That means we assume there's a more or less normal camera on it capturing frames for a timelapse. How could we guess the probe only captures heightmap information in non-visible spectrums of light? Of course a 3D render is disappointing in comparison. [editline]29th October 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=BrainDeath;42685626]it's a fucking space probe how in gods name is it going to take a picture from surface?[/QUOTE] He didn't imply that it would.

My point is that in a way you ARE seeing real footage from the probe, just in a different format.

[QUOTE=Killuah;42713763]My point is that in a way you ARE seeing real footage from the probe, just in a different format.[/QUOTE] All we're seeing is data, not footage.

[QUOTE=Killuah;42713763]My point is that in a way you ARE seeing real footage from the probe, just in a different format.[/QUOTE] If the probe didn't capture footage using visible light, then we can't see it, hence "visible"

Facepunch is awfully hypocritical ;v;

[QUOTE=Map in a box;42721891]Facepunch is awfully hypocritical ;v;[/QUOTE] How is any of this hypocritical?

[QUOTE=Map in a box;42721891]Facepunch is awfully hypocritical ;v;[/QUOTE] You're a Facepuncher. You hypocrite.

[QUOTE=DrDevil;42721146]All we're seeing is data, not footage.[/QUOTE] The same can be said for digital photography though. Except instead of measuring colors and brightness, they have measured distance from the probe. I can agree that it's different from photographs, but I wouldn't say it's any less cool.