NASA's Mars Science Laboratory costs $2.5 billion dollars (and some change) and just happens to be roving around the red surface of Mars - so your chances of ever owning it are slim to none. That is unless you happen to get your hands on one of these awesome replicas.
If you are a LEGO enthusiast, you can get your hands on this kit or instructions on how to build this replica with your owns pieces. This was actually designed by a mechanical engineer that worked on Curiosity at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory! This LEGO set doesn't stop with just a rover, you can even make the Sky Crane!
Of course when it comes to making models of out-of-this-world vehicles, your collection wouldn't be complete without a Hot Wheels car!
LEGO building is all fine and dandy, but where there real fun comes in are LEGO Mindstorms! I like to call these big boy LEGOS or LEGOS on steroids. Only thing this bad boy is lacking is a rock crushing laser!
When it comes to replicas, who wouldn't a full size one to park in your garage? Here is one that is on display at the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C.
Did I miss one? Let us see it on the comments below!
What do you get when you mix a hipster LMFAO video with a geeky NASA crew?
This awesome Mars Curiosity landing parody.
Mohawk guy? They nailed it.
Yes this is a fantastic color image of the landscape of mars, but, just like the first images from Curiosity; it is distorted by it's clear dust cover. The cover will stay in place for about another week to let the proverbial dust settle. In the distance you can still see the north wall of the Gale Crater.
The picture was taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager, (MAHLI). The MAHLI is capable of taking images from as close as 0.8 inch to infinity (how ever far that is).
(via JPL)
When I started CPOD I wanted to stick to images from amateur astronomers and astrophotographers, but in light of the recent Mars Curiosity news and all the excitement that comes with it; I found it only fitting to use this crystal clear image of the Red Plantet taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
This image was obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 as part of an observing program to monitor seasonal changes in the atmosphere and surface of Mars. The prominent dark feature in the center of the image is called Syrtis Major. The differences in color, which are exaggerated in this computer-enhanced image, are thought to be caused by differences in the deposits of dust and sand covering different regions. Features as small as 50 kilometers are seen in this image. The white region at the top of the image is the north polar cap. On the right, white clouds cover the Elysium volcanos.
(via LPI)
Curiosity has been on Mars for almost one Earth day now and the news and footage just keeps getting more awesome.
Here is stop motion footage of the rover's last 2 minutes of descent. The footage was taken at a measly 4fps from the camera on the heat shield separator called The Mars Descent Imager (MARDI). Amazing.
(via Twitter)
After the dust settled on this mornings Mars Curiosity landing (literally), I got to thinking how cool it would have been to see the amazing landing live. Although that would have been impossible (for this landing at least), we will at least get this amazing satellite picture of the MSL as the parachute slows it down so that the sky crane can take over.
And just when you think this landing can't get anymore amazing!
(via SpaceFlight101)
This morning, at 00:31 CST, Mars Curiosity Rover successfully landed on Mars after 8 and a half months of anticipation which climaxed with 7 minutes of terror.
Imediately following the landing, the rover started sending images our way. These images were taken at one-quarter of full resolution and with a clear dust cover still intact. Higher resolution, color images will be seen later this week once the rover's mast cameras are deployed.
Shortly after the landing, President Obama made this statement:
Statement by the President on Curiosity Landing on Mars
Tonight, on the planet Mars, the United States of America made history.
The successful landing of Curiosity – the most sophisticated roving laboratory ever to land on another planet – marks an unprecedented feat of technology that will stand as a point of national pride far into the future. It proves that even the longest of odds are no match for our unique blend of ingenuity and determination.
Tonight’s success, delivered by NASA, parallels our major steps forward towards a vision for a new partnership with American companies to send American astronauts into space on American spacecraft. That partnership will save taxpayer dollars while allowing NASA to do what it has always done best – push the very boundaries of human knowledge. And tonight’s success reminds us that our preeminence – not just in space, but here on Earth – depends on continuing to invest wisely in the innovation, technology, and basic research that has always made our economy the envy of the world.
I congratulate and thank all the men and women of NASA who made this remarkable accomplishment a reality – and I eagerly await what Curiosity has yet to discover.
So, where were you when we landed on Mars?
Late tonight or early Monday morning (10:31 PST 1:31 EST) NASA will attempt one of the most complex spacecraft landings in humankind history.
As you will see in the video, the landing is no easy task. It will require slowing the rover from a speed of 2000+ to zero MPH in a matter of minutes. The process will use a 100 pound supersonic parachute, a state-of-the-art sky crane, and about 500,000 lines of code. All of this will take place in a 14 minute window where NASA brainiacs will have zero control. Sound intense? It will be. Make sure you stay up late or set your alarms; this will be worth losing sleep over!
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