[meteorite-list] Curiosity Rover Grows by Leaps and Bounds

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:09:09 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201007240109.o6O199SG022729_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-245

Curiosity Rover Grows by Leaps and Bounds
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
July 23, 2010

Talk about a growth-spurt. In one week, Curiosity grew by approximately
1 meter (3.5 feet) when spacecraft technicians and engineers attached
the rover's neck and head (called the Remote Sensing Mast) to its body.
At around 2 meters (about 7 feet) tall, the next rover to Mars now
stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Mounted on Curiosity's mast are two navigation cameras (Navcams), two
mast cameras (Mastcam), and the laser-carrying chemistry camera (ChemCam).

While it now has a good head on its shoulders, Curiosity's "eyes" (the
Mastcam), have been blindfolded in a protective silvery material. The
Mastcam, containing two digital cameras, will soon be unveiled, so
engineers can test its picture-taking abilities.

Up next today (July 23), the towering rover will take its first baby
steps: a slow roll on the floor of the clean room where it's being built
at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Watch Curiosity's
progress live from the clean room on Ustream until 3:30 p.m. PDT today:
http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl .

Learn more about Curiosity at: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/ .

Guy Webster 818-354-6278
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Guy.webster at jpl.nasa.gov

2010-245
Received on Fri 23 Jul 2010 09:09:09 PM PDT