Category: NASA

Happy Holidays from Mars – Curiosity Rover Leaves Tracks in Morse Code

NASA, not Sci-Fi, Space

This image shows a close-up of track marks left by NASA’s Curiosity rover. Holes in the rover’s wheels, seen here in this view, leave imprints in the tracks that can be used to help the rover drive more accurately. The imprint is in fact Morse code for JPL, which is short for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., where the rover was built and the mission is managed.

Curiosity’s “visual odometry” software measures terrain features — such as rocks, rock shadows and patterns in the rover tracks — to determine the precise distance between drive steps. Knowing how far it has traveled is important for measuring any wheel slippage that may have occurred, for instance due to high slopes or sandy ground. Fine-grained terrains generally lack interesting features, so Curiosity can make its own features using its wheel tracks.

The Morse code, imprinted on all six wheels, is: .— (J), .–. (P), and .-.. (L).

from https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/multimedia/pia16112.html

 

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track marks left by NASA's Curiosity rover.

 

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vvv
vvv
vvv
.—
.–.
.-..
vvv
vvv
vvv

JPL.

 

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thanks reddit

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View post on imgur.com

 

 

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mars
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Late 2016 Map of NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Mission
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This thing almost killed Mark Watney!” youtube comment

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Full Duration MARDI Video of final Descent
Spaceflight101
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in other news

Amazon wins patent for a flying warehouse that will deploy drones to deliver parcels in minutes

 

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in other words we haven’t yet filled our houses with everything we can carry we want air drops.

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speaking of shopping and Mars – here’s something:

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Appolo 12

NASA, not Sci-Fi, Space

Often think how capable we are, not just of beautiful things but of practicly creating miracles out of nothing – dirt, sand and rock. Often like to imagine what Earth would be like if hatred and greed do not exist, if humanity in all our glory makes concerted effort to create and advance for the benefit of all. Seeing greed take over our government makes me sad because it is so petty and desire for money is such a small pursuit, really not worthy of a lifetime.

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I am pretty sure the day would come when the future us would look at today us with sadness and pity and wonder how is it that we lived in darkness and trivial pursuits. I am sure one day people would be free enough in their heads to think and create wonders without being weighted down by wars and bad intentions. I imagine a television of the future showing great advancements, great dreams being turned into realities, where the celebrities and rulers of the future would be first and foremost thinkers and doers rather than politicians and bankers.
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.. this is my dream and I have had it since i ever remember. If I could get frozen and wake up to that future that would be great. The other possibility is to get shot into space at the speed of light and come back after a few hops, in the future.

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https://i.imgur.com/xSil5yV.jpg