Posted December 31, 2012 by Kate Taylor
NASA's released a new, stunning self-portrait of the Curiosity Mars rover, stitched together from dozens of high-resolution images.
The pictures were
taken on October 31 and November 1 by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), and show the rover at Rocknest. This is the spot in Gale Crater where the mission's first scoop sampling took place, and four scoop scars can be seen in the sand in front of the rover. A fifth scoop was collected later.
NASA doesn't just produce these portraits to hang on the dining room wall: they help mission engineers spot changes such as dust accumulation and wheel wear. MAHLI's location on the end of the robotic arm means that it's the only one of the rover's 17 cameras that can image some parts of the craft, including the port-side wheels.http://www.tgdaily.com/general-science-brief/68410-curiosity-rover-shoots-new-self-portrait================================
Who is the Photographer Behind Photos Shot by the Curiosity Rover on Mars?We’ve written a number of posts regarding the NASA Curiosity rover’s photography on Mars, but have you ever wondered who it is that “presses the shutter”? If you have, you’re not alone. The Planetary Society recently received the question as well, and has published an official explanation from NASA:
It would be nice if the pictures took themselves. But it takes a village, it seems, to get a picture taken on Mars [...] for a single snap shot you might have the Geology Science Theme Group conceive and design it en masse; the PUL-1 plan it; the entire (on staff) Science Operations Working Group discuss it and include it in the daily plan, the PUL-2 actually write it, and the engineering uplink team review and approve it before the Ace hits the button to radiate it, with the sol’s command, bundle to the rover. That’s a group the size of a small village.
Camera operator Mark Lemmon also talks about how the team often goes to great lengths to nail lighting and composition. With so many resources drained into each photo, casual snapshots aren’t exactly Curiosity’s thing.
http://www.petapixel.com/2012/12/26/who-is-the-photographer-behind-photos-shot-by-the-curiosity-rover-on-mars/
