MSL - Stopover on the Road to Glenelg - Arm Commissioning, Commissioning Activity Period 2 - Sols 30 through 37 Options

[NickF]

There are some stupendous MAHLI images of the rover underside and calibration target coming down

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...1000E1_DXXX.jpg
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...1000E1_DXXX.jpg
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...1000E1_DXXX.jpg
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...1000E1_DXXX.jpg

[fredk]

Get the swear jar. This is insane.
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...1000E1_DXXX.jpg
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...1000E1_DXXX.jpg
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...1000E1_DXXX.jpg
And mastcam 100 view of the sun on its way...
http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl-raw-images/ms...4000I1_DXXX.jpg

[mcaplinger]

MAHLI has tossed off its lens cover!

That image was down and noted a couple of pages upthread. MAHLI data release is same day.

[fredk]

I have to say that in all of my years of following Mars missions, nothing has given me the impression of being on the ground like these belly pan images. It's partly the insane level of detail - the dust and dents on the wheels, and the tracks and soil and cobbles below. But it's also the fact that the views continue into the landscape stretching off to the mountains behind. I don't have the words. We need a poet.

And I know I don't have to ask for a mosaic!

[elakdawalla]

Your wish is my command

Fullsize

It'll be nice when these image releases come at the beginning of my day rather than the end! Only had time for a two-image pan before bed.

[Explorer1]

Wow!

Old Abe's already got a grain of dust on him.
And the wheels....

[Cargo Cult]

Forget the cuddly, anthropomorphic shot of the mastcam from Friday - it's now a monstrous space-spider!

Seeing the wheels on the surface of Mars is quite amazing.

[Stellingwerff]

Ok, it looks terrible do to the amateur Hugin skills, the large translations between the shots, etc. But here is my early try.



Greetings,
Ludo.

[iMPREPREX]

Oh man, that one above is so close to being perfect! Nice!

Awesome stuff. I think the MAHLI is my new best friend!

My try at a quick composite of the underside:

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[walfy]

Amazing shots of the underbelly!

Besides the waving martian, there is some Greek lettering on the MAHLI calibration target: γδβγ

The letters are gdbg. Now there's a mystery!

[Astro0]

Well, might as well take a shot at it. Not perfect but you get the idea



Full version on my blog: 5.85mb (6437 x 3200)

EDIT: Updated version on my blog: 6.34mb [6675 x 3200]

[DeanM]

walfy: The letters are gdbg. Now there's a mystery!

As an Aussie, these things aren't 100% clear to me, but GDBG appears to be some kind of Caltech fraternity
with an interesting and probably unique 'constitution':"No major uncools".

http://www.gdbg.org/blacker.faq.html

"Why Gamma Delta Beta Gamma?"
In the late 1970s Blacker was heavy into elevator trolling and keys. One day a few Moles lead by Charles Scott Reynolds (fr: 1975) were sitting on top of an elevator. Some security guards came in and happened to use that elevator. The guards were complaining about something that the "God Damned Blacker Gang" had done (contemporaries confirm that it was "Gang" and not "Guys" as some versions of the story have mentioned). So the next Blacker RF was signed with "Gamma Delta Beta Gamma"... "

So, which Caltech aluminus (& you know who you are!) wants to 'fess up?!

Dean

[Reason for edit: spulling!]

Attached thumbnail(s)

 

[iMPREPREX]

Well, might as well take a shot at it. Not perfect but you get the idea
Full version on my blog: 5.85mb (6437 x 3200)

That's almost perfect! Probably the best we'll be able to get! Bravo!

[jmknapp]

However, isn't pumice a rather weak, friable rock? This set of rocks doesn't look to be as wind-eroded as the vast majority of the rocks nearby. If it's pumice, wouldn't you think it had been emplaced here pretty recently, geologically speaking?

Beats me! I was just going by an impression without any specific geological knowledge. It's hard enough trying to follow (unsuccessfully) eons of geological processes on earth without throwing another planet into the mix. But there could be little water erosion involved, and as for wind erosion, who's to say how these fragments started? Also, volcanic activity could be relatively recent.

Another impression is that Mars seems to continually throw curveballs at Earth interpreters, from Lowell on down, who hope that there's a warm, wet planet in there somewhere. For example, Gusev Crater was supposed to be a "slam dunk" to be floored with ancient lake sediments but turned out to be another case of volcanic deposits & Spirit had to go to plan B.

I wonder how is it known that Gale Crater formed by an impact rather than, say, by volcanic processes a la Crater Lake, maybe without the lake? Doing a quick Google search gives this reference link that mentions clays, phyllosilicates etc. coming from pumice deposits from Mt. Mazama at Crater Lake, Oregon.

[jvandriel]

Sol 34 Panorama Underside of Curiosity.

Jan van Driel