new software for Curiosity

Hi all, in case you were wondering why there are no new pics from Mars, it is being upgraded with new software to prepare it for driving and other surface operations.

The rover's "brain transplant," which will occur during a series of steps Aug. 10 through Aug. 13, will install a new version of software on both of the rover's redundant main computers. This software for Mars surface operations was uploaded to the rover's memory during the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft's flight from Earth. "We designed the mission from the start to be able to upgrade the software as needed for different phases of the mission," said Ben Cichy of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., chief software engineer for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. "The flight software version Curiosity currently is using was really focused on landing the vehicle. It includes many capabilities we just don't need any more. It gives us basic capabilities for operating the rover on the surface, but we have planned all along to switch over after landing to a version of flight software that is really optimized for surface operations."

link

Am I the only one concerned about upgrading BOTH computers with fresh software?

This makes less than zero sense. NASA seems to think it is still 1969 and anything they say is simply taken at face value.

Lets's take turns at translating the NASA-speak:

"...we need to upload new software so no pictures for a while" = the dry lake bed where we film outdoors segments experienced an unexpected flash flood. Please standby while we set up elsewhere.

Originally posted by sprtpilot
This makes less than zero sense. NASA seems to think it is still 1969 and anything they say is simply taken at face value.

It makes no sense, for YOU...i assume...

Originally posted by sprtpilot
This makes less than zero sense. NASA seems to think it is still 1969 and anything they say is simply taken at face value.

Lets's take turns at translating the NASA-speak:

"...we need to upload new software so no pictures for a while" = the dry lake bed where we film outdoors segments experienced an unexpected flash flood. Please standby while we set up elsewhere.

Does this make sense then:

The software needed for the spaceflight and the landing is no longer required (considering they have now landed), and instead the software for the roving mission is being installed. Obviously, the computers no longer need to be optimized to carry out the landing, since the landing is done.

Think of it as closing one application on your computer's desktop so your other applications run more efficiently. For example, would you ALWAYS have microsoft word (or some other memory-intensive program) always running in the background of your home computer if you no longer ever intended to use microsoft word? Of course you wouldn't; that would be a waste of your computer's RAM, and would cause your computer to run more slowly.



This software update was something planned from the very beginning. This software upgrade was transmitted to the spacecraft a long time ago while the craft was mid-way to Mars, and was sitting in memory, waiting for the landing procedures to end. Now that the craft has landed, the unneeded software is set aside, and the new roving software installed and turned on in its place.

I mean, it is quite obvious that the computers which were set up to be optimized for doing spaceflight and landing stuff no longer need to be optimized for doing spaceflight and landing stuff.

That makes perfect sense to me, and I'm NOT even taking it at face value. If you stopped and thought about it yourself (rather than only complaining about the "face value" of it), it might make sense to you, too.

Originally posted by verschickter
Am I the only one concerned about upgrading BOTH computers with fresh software?

I think I heard them say in the press conference that they would install the software on the primary first, THEN the backup (maybe they will run some installation checks before installing it on the backup).

THIS IS NASA.....
NASA thinks that we are stupid.!!
They just want to give them time to examin every picture they take.
So if there is a tree or a plant or a little animal or something else, maybe water in the area.
They dont want u to peek. They have so called 2mb cam, (2.5 billion rover), so they can wipe everything away.

So why do you think, NASA first shows u a Black and White Picture ????
...............................................???

NOW, i will give u the answer......
Its is very simpel.

Originally posted by tarkanx007
So why do you think, NASA first shows u a Black and White Picture ????
...............................................???

...Because those were hazard cams...

They have to take the time to examin, there own picture, before they show it to public.
They dont want a second FACE on Mars effect.
AND Black and White picture shows u nothing, to examin.

NASA wants to give u a pore picture.
So when u see something, u cant give " a smoking gun" picture back to them.
Control is everything..

2.5 Billion Dollar.
900 kg rover.
AND they cant implement a more the 2mb cam.
COME on.
THEY have HD cams on board (yes more then 20mb) , they dont want u to see what they see.

This is how they feel about us.. see picture

I think that is an awesome ability to be able to totally swap out software like that from so far away.


I get what they are doing.

Pretty impressive to me, but then, when it comes to Mars, I am easily impressed.
I am just glad the rover made it there safe and sound.

Originally posted by verschickter
Am I the only one concerned about upgrading BOTH computers with fresh software?

Nothing to worry about, both my cellphone and computers get updates all the time.

I have no problems, I used my home phone to call a friend in order to borrow his laptop while my gets fixed after the upgrade

LOL, I'm sure they have a safemode firmware that resets the software if communications is lost after a certain amount of time.

if NASA was real honest, they could launch, for a couple of million dollars a rover to MOON.
WHY dont they do that.
GIVE us a HD picture of survice of the MOON.

Originally posted by tarkanx007
They have to take the time to examin, there own picture, before they show it to public.
They dont want a second FACE on Mars effect.
AND Black and White picture shows u nothing, to examin.

Do you ever get the feeling you are talking to yourself? I do. It's been explained lots of times why there are black and white pictures.

Oh by the way, the Mars face picture was black and white. In regard to your last comment and picture, my only guess is that NASA feel happy about me? Is that the correct answer? They look happy.

It's sad that the picture isn't about me though, and is in fact a picture about the success of the mission. I guess I'll have to go find someone to make happy about me. I'm so lonely

I WANT TO SEE moving rover.
AND see dirt mud, going up and down, so we can examin, of the gravity of Mars is 38% less then from Earth.
NASA, JUST drive for 20 seconds and give us some movie.....
I HOPE I M MISTAKING. But i dont think soo, that NASA will do that. I HOPE I M MISTAKING AGAIN.

reply to post by AmatuerSkyWatcher

SORRY.. about that