Space/Science » in reply to Thanks. I wonder why NASA doesn't transmit more though.

re: Thanks. I wonder why NASA doesn't transmit more though.

Doug Ellison — 12/21/2004 8:34:34 AM (archived)

You're being a troll right?

Pathfinder sent back ONE..repeat ONE colour panorama.

Opportunity has sent back 4 COMPLETE 360 degree panoramas at 16x the resolution that Pathfinder did, and Spirit has sent back 6 complete colour panoramas.

What the HELL are you talking about!!!

It's not a case of choosing to 'transmit more'. They're transmitting as much as power and comms windows allow, and there's not JUST pretty pictures to please your fragile little mind to be sent back. Pancam is one of only 6 scientific instruments on those things. And yes - colour data DOES take a lot more resources. It takes three times longer to take them, three times as many products in flash memory, and three times as much time to downlink them.

Quite your moaning and look at these

Spirit

plus the Middle Ground panorama that was taken but not released as it was not easily convertable to true colour - and a recent panorama taken from between Clovis and Husband Hill that I'm sure will be released shortly. Everywhere Spirit has been. It's landing site, the route to Bonneville, Bonneville itself, leaving Bonneville, the route to the Hills, in the hills - it's taken a panorama - what more could you POSSIBLY want?

Opportunity

Again - one where it landed - one as it left Eagle Crater, two from the rim of Endurance Crater and a 180 pan from inside it. Everywhere its been - it's taken panoramas. What more could you possibly want?

I'm sorry to rant like this - but it's PATHETIC when people just go "why isnt it colour" "why dont they send back more" "why dont they drive faster" etc etc etc without bothering to take one millionth of the time that the people who built these things did in building them - to understand the limitations of what they can or can not do. They're about to have their first birthday - and in doing so exceed their design lives by a factor of FOUR. And you moan about getting MORE. PATHETIC.

Doug

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The whole thread (41 posts)

• Some interesting Rover pics (embedded in post) - LJ - 12/20/2004 5:08:44 PM
  • Would color photos really have been that much more resource-consuming? - ~tax leech - 12/20/2004 11:40:52 PM
    • here's one from last week - pwokenyaw - 12/21/2004 12:46:48 AM
      • Thanks. I wonder why NASA doesn't transmit more though. - ~tax leech - 12/21/2004 1:07:22 AM
        • re: Thanks. I wonder why NASA doesn't transmit more though. - Doug Ellison - 12/21/2004 8:34:34 AM
          • Once MRO is in place, data tranmission from Mars should be greatly increased. (n/t) - Lee - 12/22/2004 8:47:58 AM
          • Pathfinder cost many times LESS & used much older technology. - ~tax leech - 12/21/2004 5:42:18 PM
            • re: Pathfinder cost many times LESS & used much older technology. - Doug Ellison - 12/21/2004 9:12:07 PM
              • How do you know MER's not greatly over-priced? Why not offer Mars prizes to establish better comparisons? - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 1:02:39 AM
                • re: How do you know MER's not greatly over-priced? Why not offer Mars prizes to establish better comparisons? - Doug Ellison - 12/22/2004 10:55:28 AM
                  • Earn money off of NASA contracts, do ya? - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 4:19:56 PM
                    • re: Earn money off of NASA contracts, do ya? - Doug Ellison - 12/22/2004 5:45:56 PM
                      • re: Earn money off of NASA contracts, do ya? - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 5:52:39 PM
                        • Now what's wrong with Shaun of the Dead? - alcaray - 12/23/2004 12:08:06 AM
            • re:stupidest conspiracy theory ever - Dave - 12/21/2004 6:00:06 PM
              • You don't think LockMart and JPL fear competitive prizes' implications? - ~tax leech - 12/21/2004 6:08:26 PM
                • re: You don't think LockMart and JPL fear competitive prizes' implications - Dave - 12/21/2004 6:32:40 PM
                  • MSL pix: And video! (n/t) - alcaray - 12/21/2004 7:14:17 PM
                    • 2004 cellphones offer it for a fraction of the cost. Why no Mars prizes yet? - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 12:43:38 AM
                      • When we have buried mars in telecom sats and microwave towers and copper and silicon cables... - alcaray - 12/22/2004 4:25:26 PM
                        • It was an analogy, not an objection. Much remains to be invented BY COMPETITIVE PRIZE CONTESTANTS. - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 4:29:37 PM
                          • re: It was an analogy, not an objection. Much remains to be invented BY COMPETITIVE PRIZE CONTESTANTS. - Doug Ellison - 12/22/2004 5:57:34 PM
                            • Learn to read and others' postings won't be so offensive. - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 6:14:24 PM
                              • re: Learn to read and others' postings won't be so offensive. - Doug Ellison - 12/22/2004 6:49:50 PM
                      • Last time I tried, my cell phone didn't work on mars - Dave - 12/22/2004 2:16:39 AM
                        • Won't the 2009 mission already have its relaying network intact? - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 4:19:37 AM
                          • re: Won't the 2009 mission already have its relaying network intact? - Dave - 12/22/2004 11:05:07 AM
                            • Prizes permit economies of scale; and litigation-aversive R&D isn't needed (unlike w/ cars) - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 4:24:32 PM
                            • re: Won't the 2009 mission already have its relaying network intact? - Doug Ellison - 12/22/2004 11:13:44 AM
                              • Such arrogance was profitable, before competitive prizes appeared at NASA. - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 4:27:55 PM
                                • You twit! That space pen nonsense is well known to be an urban legend - R.L. - 12/23/2004 6:23:31 AM
                                • re: Such arrogance was profitable, before competitive prizes appeared at NASA. - Doug Ellison - 12/22/2004 5:52:22 PM
                                  • Learn to READ, Shaun of the Dead fan - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 5:56:05 PM
                                    • re: Learn to READ, Shaun of the Dead fan - Doug Ellison - 12/22/2004 6:00:33 PM
                                      • Then stop calling others trolls just because they don't agree with your statist views. (n/t) - ~tax leech - 12/22/2004 6:08:24 PM
          • I know what you mean - Daniel - 12/21/2004 12:03:05 PM
            • re: I know what you mean - Doug Ellsion - 12/21/2004 1:03:02 PM
              • re: I know what you mean - Dave - 12/21/2004 5:14:56 PM
                • They were so well designed, what if they don't die, but instead limp along. - Scott Evil - 12/23/2004 3:08:31 PM
              • re: I know what you mean - Raoul - 12/21/2004 3:22:48 PM
              • Yep, an uphill battle .. - Daniel - 12/21/2004 2:27:21 PM