Mars Science Laboratory (Full)

[snakeeater66]

Uhhhhhh.... I dont know guys, I see alot that can go wrong here. High winds for example? These guys at nasa think they can predict martian weather because they have a few satilites in orbit. They cant even get it right on earth some of the time. I think you should of made this out of carbon, at least partially to control the weight and you could of made a quadruped rover encased in a gel capsule.

[7paco]

we are the aliens

[aleksionas]

i hope it will not blind some marsian baby with that laser, that would cause a interplanetary war I

[pokstad]

It just pooped mars rocks @4:23

[Krakolio]

Imagine an alien hermit living on Mars, for the first time seeing one of these Mars rovers. I've got a feeling space exploration is going to improve very slowly. Very very slowly. I think humans will probably make it just outside the solar system and no further; that if we're lucky, and definately not during this century. I'm kind of disappointed really, but I'm very impressed with this machine. So many years, research and money went into building these rover robot things. Very impressive.

[AfterShockPivot]

Ir reminds me of Wall-E, but more sad because it dies at the end.

[mtrings92]

Wheres Jebediah?



[gnark1ll1us]

Ive been following the mission for years, but the sole thing I would add is some mechanism for righting the rover if it tips over on landing.

Seems a shame to risk all the work when such a catastrophe could be solved reasonably simply.

[iexusuxei]

I like how they add the lonely wind noise effect. Makes me feel sorry for the poor little bugger.

[mountie8]

The sky crane allows the removal of the rocket motor assembly and tanks from the rover. Less mass means less power required to move the rover and after landing the rocket motor assembly would be just dead weight.

[looksintolasers]

also, what exactly are the advantages of the sky-crane over just ordinary retrorockets? I keep imagining the thing just swinging into the ground at a bad angle and snapping off all the wheels on one side...

[looksintolasers]

yeah imagine what would happen if one of these came to earth and started shooting *our* rocks with lasers!

[derman077]

If a rover lands on a distant planet, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

[angelmassb]

They call it scientific research. I call it preemptive attack

[fireandchutes77]

I believe the term for this approach is: So F&%#ing Crazy it Just Might Work.

[maxiboy666]

Looks like a super coffee machine!

[graizely]

imho it's not worth 2 billion dollars these days

[rebel4evr114]

i hope we find oil on mars, hopefully then we will actually get our government to put more money in space travel and human exploration. maybe we will even find some unobtanium.

[aerobique]

90 day mission is now 6 jears

nice robot

[nickos112]

Indeed it looks lonely, but in a 100 000 years human will be able to live on Mars.

[TheZeroBeats]

@nickos112 i think i 100 000 years we do no only live on mars but prob other planets aswell -.-' we might even travel at speed of light why should we live on mars..

[jotape]

Great, he (she?) looks like a big Wall-e :-)

[zaaaaak17]

No lifers

[SteelTwilight]

It looks so lonely... :(

[twinsrock15]

Man, that is one complex landing system. But I understand why they have to do it that way. I hope everything goes well.

[Kalas5]

En Marte no hay aire dice xDDD

[cool950528]

you can´t use a parachute on mars because there is no air .

[lasertuber]

there is air, but it is very thin. The parachute has to be huge, depending on how much deceleration they need.

[amedkan]

wow you're stupid. of course you can use a parachute. there is still an atsmophere idiot.

[jshands]

Actually, it's not an idiotic question. While there is an atmosphere on Mars, it is significantly less dense, .087 PSI compared to Earth's 14.69 PSI. Meaning that parachutes are *much* less effective there. Even if we got people to Mars, the classic reentry capsule technique wouldn't work because the size of the parachute needed would be ridiculous. (Also, they couldn't take off again using that method.) Using a shuttle design won't work either, because the atmosphere won't provide enough drag.

[benthfc977]

@jshands w....t....h?are you drunk or am i thick rofl =P

[faruh123]

@jshands Wouldn't the less atmospheric pressure make thrust systems more efficient?

[CountlovE]

So in the end, they shoot the sample with a laser penis? Thats cool.

[briandamage77]

man .. christopher columbus, Magellan, vasco da gama, diaz, livingstone, speke, marco polo, amundsen, cook, wilkes, peary and many others would die of boredom this days with this modern exploration methods.... like sitting behind a desk and waiting 8 hours to get a chemichal composition .........................come on.....

btw the descent mehod shouldnt include the wires its a big risk there.. the rockets should be strapped to the landing and then released somehow not much of a eng challenge

[Atevra]

Don't you think that NASA has looked at the options, go design it yourself they would be proud to have you come up with a better landing solution

[SeiteNichtGefunden]

It's Dias not Diaz...

[Celly222]

I guess the superball wont work then. Bummer cause it seems a almost fullproof method. I just dont trust that object ON TOP of the rover with flames blasting down... and them cables. In addition to the things already mentioned, we also have to hope all 4 cables let go and dont get tangled or caught on something. It seems way too much can go wrong here. If its too heavy they should design a bigger superball and just let it go on a bouncing rampage for a few days. Its bound to stop sometime lol.

[davidskch]

LOL

[Tomgirl00]

Where will the Drone thing Go after it Leaved The Camera-Car? will it Fly back to space or will it destroy it self or wot will happen to it? where will it go? xD it cant have that mutch Gasoline that it can reach to space again...............

[zerochrome85]

It will it destroy it self by crash landing somewhere away from the rover.

[Atevra]

gasoline?

[wolfer1710]

I guess there's a good reason for using this landing method.

[dutchfett]

Very dangerous landing method!!! The ball thing was more relieable in my opinion.

[sugrivq]

i dont get it

[Celly222]

I dont trust these kinds of landings. Nothing beats the big ol' rubber superball method. If that carrier lets go of the lander just slightly too soon......... *smash* whereas with the superball you just let it bounce around. Phoenix lucked out i think. Spirit and Opportunity used the superball and ruled mars.

[Props2u]

I agree, that landing method is way over the top. Besides whether or not it lets go at the right time, they also have to worry about the carrier turning its thrusters and moving away so it doesnt land on top of it!! haha "superball" method. That IS the best way though. This program just got delayed another year. Hopefully they change the way it will land.

[muffles12]

mars is ounce a planet there was many leader this from maias of pleiadians

[Props2u]

lol riiiight. And i have fire breathing dragons in my backyard. Pesky little critters.

[themanwithacrumpet]

would you bounce a rts generator around on mars? That thing will be carrying nuclear fuel and superprecise instrumentation as well as being the size of a small car. I think it would be most illogical to drop something like that in a "superball" method.

[Atevra]

I agree.

[zerochrome85]

The MSL is much to big and to heavy to use the superball method; if they try the rover will just crash. In fact wait is a major issue with mars exploration because of this; the air is to thin to cushion its fall and after a certain amount of weight its very difficult to slow it down.

[rdriedger]

that landing gear almost seems excessive

much awesome

[MikeHawkins]

JPL says due to delays it won't launch until Fall of 2009 but still arrive in 2010 just a few months later than originally planned. The die-hards Rovers still at it, one headed to a massive 14 mile wide crater 7 miles away...

[subach]

We're sending a robot with a laser to mars, the irony is so sweet I can taste it.

[Pawalskij]

that was fucking sweet

[joachim2464]

this will be a pretty big rover. But where are the solar panels?

[FlyUSNavy]

its nuclear powered, no solar panels.

[hfutrell]

MSL hate rock! *zap* *zap* *zap*

MSL strike fear in the heart of rock using LAZER!

[kapitankartoon]

I LIKE IT!

Lets see..Manned Mission to Mars 100 Bilion dollars. When? 2035

MSL 1.2 Billion dollars. When? 2009

GO ROBOTS!

[vk3ukf]

I like it. Immediately prior to landing it reminded me of the movie Alien with a drop ship coming in to land. I can't wait for this rover to get to Mars.

[wwwparker]

I think that machine ate some doody.

Why have an audible alarm?  You so crazy, little rover.

[skimble70]

they cant light a flamy with out oxygen...

[PonThePony]

You can, actually.

[rigurat]

The landing looks ellaborate and complex. This mission appears to be very expensive. The backshell with it's expensive rockets and guidance system gets discarded.

[Darealwhip]

I share you concern about cost...Lets you congresman know that this robots could be mass produce to slice cost in a half and get more robots on mars surface...

[Betelgeuze01]

Very nice animation!

The experiment looks very complex, wonder what happens if one part of it fails to work, all for nothing?

[muhideen]

Excellent animation. Although the scheduled launch date is a distant December 2009, I'm really looking forward to following the progress of this unmanned mission.

Carl Giwa

[HAL11000]

I hear that rover is the size of a mini cooper.

[Darealwhip]

If NASA could assemble few more robots with off the shelf components in a modular fashion to simplify construction and cut cost. Also few robots could be just loaded with Image and sensing equipment.