MSL EDL Hardware, Its state & fate Options

[john_s]

I seem to remember there was some concern that Opportunity's camera optics got contaminated during its visit to the heatshield, so they might be more careful with Curiosity.

John

[dmg]

I'm hoping they will give the aeroshell a look. They gave the aeroshell wreckage a close look with MER-B.

If I heard correctly today in the press conference they indicated that they would NOT approach any of the jettisoned items. Of course, everything is always open to change by the project. I'm absolutely certain though that they would not approach anywhere near the descent stage (skycrane) wreckage. DG

[NickF]

Are those three dark splodges in the crater NW of the SkyCrane impact site likely to be pieces thereof?

[gpurcell]

Are those three dark splodges in the crater NW of the SkyCrane impact site likely to be pieces thereof?

That's my interpretation. There's actually a smaller object with four bounces south of there as well:

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[James Sorenson]

I'm not sure if this was discussed, I apologize if it has. There is a very obvious impact in the lower left if this image that I have highlighted with a box. I was thinking either from one of the masses or something that shot very far from the decent stage impact. Any idea's?

[nprev]

Please post all comments regarding the ancillary hardware associated with the landing of Curiosity here; thanks!

[Explorer1]

James: if it is one of the ballast masses it's way out of place; those should all be downrange (east, towards Mt. Sharp). Looks too fresh and low-angle to be a tiny natural impact. Maybe worth examining with better Hirise imagery later?

[James Sorenson]

Okay thanks Explorer1. The dark ejecta from that feature, seem's to line up with the skycrane impact, like it came from that general location. But you're right.

[fredk]

There is a very obvious impact in the lower left if this image that I have highlighted with a box.

Good eye! It's not on GM, so it's part of MSL. The angle of spray appears to be towards the SW, lined up almost perfectly with the DS impact point. Wow, could that be a stray piece of the descent stage? It's several hundred metres from the DS!

[Mongo]

Good eye! It's not on GM, so it's part of MSL. The angle of spray appears to be towards the SW, lined up almost perfectly with the DS impact point. Wow, could that be a stray piece of the descent stage? It's several hundred metres from the DS!

If the DS exploded on impact with the Mars surface, could a stray fragment from the explosion be hurled this far? A hydrazine explosion might also explain the "dust cloud" we see in the rear hazcam images.

[fredk]

Here are a couple more little dark splotches, that aren't on the old hirise imagery (GM):

Not as far afield as James's piece, though. I'm sure we'd see more with the full res hirise.

[Explorer1]

Yes, there's something to be said for a complicated EDL with lots of 'space junk'; it sure makes the slow early days of landing go by faster.
The question of visiting any of these things up-close, even the non-hazardous debris, is still really far off though, we should keep in mind.

[elakdawalla]

I'm glad I didn't have time to write up that HiRISE image today. You guys are finding all kinds of goodies

[James Sorenson]

WOW!! GM showes a rough distance of 2,300 feet

Okay correction...2,700 Feet!!!!

Nevermind

[dvandorn]

Methinks if we ever use a skycrane type of landing again, we're going to have to program a little more smarts into the descent stage and have it either fly farther away or try to kill its velocity before it crashes. I shudder to think of what might have happened had one of those fragments of descent stage come back and whanged the rover real good...

-the other Doug