How Mars Rover Really Looks Like

reply to post by ArMaP


ahh i see it i see it, thank you for pointing it out, thought it was the shadow of the wheel
or whats holding the wheel....

Originally posted by SpearMint

Originally posted by ArMaP

Originally posted by SpearMint
I saw this the other day, and I still can't quite figure out how it took the picture since there's no arms extending out of the image, do you know?

The "self-portrait" was made from 55 different images. When making an image like that (a panorama) several photos are taken of the same area, so the best parts of any photo can be chosen to make the final image, making it possible to remove part of the robotic arm where the camera was, for example.

Ah, thank you. I assumed it was a single image.

Ah ha!

That does make sense now!

It's a kind of creepy photo, as it looks like you're there standing in front of it!

Actually there's a very good reason for why things like wire bundles are exposed, the most important is: decreasing the amount of mass that had to be sent.

They could have covered all those wire bundles with some very nice looking covers, made from metal, plastics or other polymers, but in doing that they would have increased the amount of mass of the rover.

Increasing the mass increases the amount of fuel to get it to Mars. Worse, increasing the mass changes how to land. The larger the mass, the larger the chute would have needed to be, the more thrust the skycrane rockets would have needed to be.

Curiosity isn't a car on a show room floor. It's a data gathering instrument sent to another planet. Functionality using minimum mass was a priority over how "pretty" it should look.

reply to post by SpearMint


Yes of course .. it handed the camera to the little green man to take..

Sorry to be off topic, but are they ever going to release night time photos? That would be interesting.

But yeah if you zoom in on the photo you can see faded parts where they were cropped.

Originally posted by eriktheawful
Actually there's a very good reason for why things like wire bundles are exposed, the most important is: decreasing the amount of mass that had to be sent.

They could have covered all those wire bundles with some very nice looking covers, made from metal, plastics or other polymers, but in doing that they would have increased the amount of mass of the rover.

Increasing the mass increases the amount of fuel to get it to Mars. Worse, increasing the mass changes how to land. The larger the mass, the larger the chute would have needed to be, the more thrust the skycrane rockets would have needed to be.

Curiosity isn't a car on a show room floor. It's a data gathering instrument sent to another planet. Functionality using minimum mass was a priority over how "pretty" it should look.

I was thinking it was for repairing purposes, it would be much easier to see the problem if it is exposed and to clean it also, don't know if the rover has those functions.

(just to let you all know, i don't think this rover is on mars, but that is another topic, sorry )

Originally posted by cmdrkeenkid
reply to post by earthalien50

 

It's not a nuclear reactor, but a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. It uses heat from nuclear decay to generate electricity, not fission as in a nuclear reactor. They're pretty safe and have all sorts of applications.

Nuclear decay _is_ fission. Heavier atoms split into lighter ones, and energy is released. The difference is that the reactors use a controlled chain reaction, while the generators use the "lazy" nuclear decay that cannot go critical.

On the topic, I can expect some dust getting into the nooks and crannies on the rover, but I'm also sure that all the vital systems are protected.

This thing is basically a one of and built by hand.

It did not come from a mold,or a production line. There were no robots welding things together.

Its not a Toyota, its a mars rover.

Built by hand,

As a exercise, build a pipe. Then compare it to a store bought one.

reply to post by wildespace


Did I ever say that nuclear decay wasn't fission? No. I just stated that it is a different method than those in nuclear reactors. Sorry for not being clear enough, but thanks for taking care of that.

reply to post by Hydrawolf


That's a good find I kind of sent ok badly cut panel and doesn't really look dust proof but I'm no expert and maybe it doesn't need to be.
But then when I look at the 2 wiring looms on the R/h side and see they didn't even bother cutting / drill hole for them to go through and you can see the panels bowing because this was not done I started seeing what he was getting at.
I in my home shed i would not do something that bodgy how hard to drill 2 holes befor butting the cover over thoughts wiring looms.
What a joke

reply to post by jaffer44


I have seen cases in which the fact that the wires were passing through a hole were the cause of a problem.

Originally posted by ArMaP
reply to post by jaffer44

 

I have seen cases in which the fact that the wires were passing through a hole were the cause of a problem.

The bit in the video I am talkining about is 3.41 min
If you want a loom pivoting and move around the conjute then Wouldnt you use a ball that pressed firm around the Wire loom and a knuckle on the outer conjute kind of like a bearing but it also pivets in all directions I can go buy these at the local hardware/ electrical store for $5.00.
The broblems I can see rising with that is to much pressure on the loom when do screws up on cover could cause to snap after moving around for a while the the wires earth on each other it's easy to do.
that's why you drill a hole and use some sort of plug around the wire look at any electrical alliance in your house.
Because you have been carefully not to over tighten screws there is a chance the crews will vibrate loose over time because they weren't tight enough.
Look at the huge gap were outside dust can get in.
As a technition on machinery I would be embarrassed to say that was my work / upgrade