*Watch NASA Build the Next Mars Rover (Awesome!)

Space enthusiasts can now watch a Mars rover being built at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory thanks to a well-positioned webcam.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9a2b473602ea.jpg[/atsimg]
Curiosity is a large rover with six wheels about the size of a car, weighing in at more than 900 kilos. It is about twice as long and five times as heavy as NASA’s previous rovers Spirit and Opportunity, launched in 2003. It is scheduled head to Mars at the tail end of 2011 and will land on the red planet in August 2012. There it will analyze dozens of samples drilled from rocks or scooped from the ground as it explores a great range than any previous Mars rover.

The “Curiosity Cam,” which is located in the viewing gallery above the clean-room floor where the rover is being assembled, launched this week

To watch the webcam, visit the Curiosity Cam Ustream feed (Can click on that link at Source Page). The plan for today (Friday) is to put the wheels in place. Viewers also have the opportunity to take part in scheduled live chats with members of the team, for example at 18.00 GMT (10.00 am Pacific time) you can chat with René Fradet, the flight systems manager for NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory.

People can also follow a link to sign up to have their name included on a microchip that will be sent to Mars with Curiosity.

Source: www.wired.com...

How cool is that (getting your name set on the thing!!). Yep, I'm gonna sign up. I hope you all do. ATS could overwhelm that chip-I bet. I betcha they would think 100,000 plus would sigh up. hehehe.

Have a great weekend.

This is going to be interesting to watch, and they to watch it in action etc. Anyone got some insight on this one?

Sorry I can't really add much to this as this is all new to me. Just fasinating.




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reply to post by anon72

anon72,

I really hate it when I have to be the one to tell you that GetRadNZ already created a thread on this....

Live 'Curiosity Cam': Watch NASA's Next Mars Rover Being Built,

Peace

PS: honestly, your thread looks way better!! Have a sympathy flag...

My bad.

Thank you.

Please close Mods.

reply to post by anon72

Curiosity is a large rover with six wheels about the size of a car, weighing in at more than 900 kilos

This is great news, also love the name Curiosity, that will be some job getting it up there with the weight and size, hopefully when they do it will keep going and going and going..

Thanks for posting this thread.