Nov 02

Visualized: Curiosity rover’s self-portrait

Posted in: Today's Chili

DNP Visualized Curiosity rover selfportrait

No, Disney isn’t working on Wall-E the live action movie. Pictured above is a self-portrait of NASA’s Curiosity rover resting in the Gale crater of Mars. Showcasing some extreme detail, this high-res photo was captured by the Red Planet roller’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), with its native image clocking in at 5,463 x 7,595 pixels. The picture’s Martian backdrop consists of a trail of freshly made tire tracks with a glimpse of Curiosity’s future destination Mount Sharp hanging out in the distance. If you gaze deeply into the unmanned craft’s soulless robotic eye, you’ll catch a reflection of Mars staring right back at you. To get a closer look at our favorite Martian in all of its uncompressed glory, you can snag the 125MB image file from the second source link below.

[Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems]

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Visualized: Curiosity rover’s self-portrait originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oct 03

NASA’s Curiosity rover checks in on Foursquare, gives Mars its first mayor

Posted in: Today's Chili

DNP Foursquare is out of this world, as Curiosity checks in at the Red Planet

Yes, seriously. NASA announced on Wednesday that its Curiosity rover had “checked in” on Mars via Foursquare. Marking the first check in from another world, the robotic rover will utilize the location-minded social network to share updates and pictures while visiting the Red Planet. While Curiosity will continue to explore the possibilities of Mars being able to sustain life, it would appear that the fourth planet from the sun just got a brand new mayor. Something tells us the universe’s rarest badge is about to be bestowed.

Continue reading NASA’s Curiosity rover checks in on Foursquare, gives Mars its first mayor

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NASA’s Curiosity rover checks in on Foursquare, gives Mars its first mayor originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 23

Rovio takes Angry Birds Space for a spin with NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover, teases Red Planet for fall (video)

Posted in: Today's Chili

Rovio takes Angry Birds Space on a spin with NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover, teases Red Planet for fall video

It was almost as inevitable as gravity, really. Rovio has teamed up with NASA to offer a special, Curiosity-themed episode inside Angry Birds Space. The trek has the avians scouring 20 levels of the Martian landscape with a few bonuses thrown in for good measure. Just like your favorite childhood breakfast cereal, there’s even a token healthy ingredient — in this case, a chance for gamers to learn about Curiosity’s exploration whenever they’re not busy smashing pigs. Android and iOS users can dip into the new chapter right after they update, but that’s not even the full extent of Rovio’s plans. If the environs of Gale Crater are too limiting, you’ll be glad to hear that the game developer is teasing a full-scale Red Planet variant for the fall.

Continue reading Rovio takes Angry Birds Space for a spin with NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover, teases Red Planet for fall (video)

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Rovio takes Angry Birds Space for a spin with NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover, teases Red Planet for fall (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aug 20

NASA InSight tapped for Mars drilling mission in 2016

Posted in: Today's Chili

NASA InSight tapped for Mars drilling mission in 2016

The surface of Mars? Psh… been there. With the Curiosity stage well under way, our exploration of the Red Planet is about to take a dive beneath the dust. Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport — InSight, for short — was just confirmed as a new NASA mission, with the space agency set to launch in March of 2016. Based on the Phoenix lander, the craft is tasked with giving us a peek beneath the planet’s surface, armed with tools that include a geodetic instrument from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which will be used to calculate Mars’ rotation axis, a seismic wave sensor and a subsurface heat probe, to measure the planet’s internal temperature. The program has a $425 million budget — a bit shy of the $2.5 billion allocated for Curiosity — not including the costly launch vehicle. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that InSight will help pave the way for future human missions to Mars, and represents just one of the related projects to come. Hit up the source link below for a closer look at JPL’s latest endeavor.

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NASA InSight tapped for Mars drilling mission in 2016 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Aug 2012 17:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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