First color photo from Mars

[papau]

[Dookus]

1. thank you papau...

I saw that earlier today. It's amazing. Just the thought....

on edit:

I'll complete the thought. It gives me goosebumps. The idea that we can see with our own eyes the horizon of another planet. It makes me wish I were a poet, because I can't describe the idea in prose.

Thanks again.

[MousePlayingDaffodil]

12. Far be it for me to rain on anybody' s parade . . .

. . . and I like looking at these pictures as much as anybody. But let's not get too carried away with NASA's hype. The Viking I and Viking II landers sent back color photographs from the surface of Mars that were of nearly comparable quality . . . back in 1976. Ditto the Pathfinder mission in 1997.

To my way of thinking, the current Spirit mission represents only an incremental improvement over what NASA was doing some 25 years ago, yet to hear the gullible press -- urged on, doubtlessly, by the increase-our-budget-now crowd at NASA itself -- one would think that this is some grand new achievement nearly on par with the Apollo moon landings.

A little perspective is in order. NASA is little more than a federal jobs program for Ph.D.'s.

[DrWeird]

21. Hmm

I was under the impression that the Viking photographs were monochrome and the color was added later.

It's only been a few years ago but the rovers have much larger range than pathfinder and have a more substantial scientific package.

I say we mass produce the things and send them all over mars.

The shuttle program clearly needs to be scraped. Each of the "reusable" shuttles launches costs more than a one shot rocket.

[ClintonTyree]

2. How many people.................

could have been fed for the price of this photograph? NASA could use a bit of good news after their most recent failures, but personally I don't give a rat's ass what's on Mars when there are people starving here on Earth. A complete waste of time and money in my opinion.

[Dookus]

4. That is such a false assumption....

The space program has one of the highest returns on investment than any other government dollar spent.

You're also arguing from a false, zero-sum position. To think that if we didn't spend any money on the space program, it would all be available to help the poor. That's not true.

The technological and economic advances brought about by the space program are immeasurable. I'll try to find another post that another way-smart DU'er posted here earlier today listing all the benefits that have come from the space program. If you saw the benefits, you'd never say it was money ill-spent.

I'll be back with the links.

[ClintonTyree]

7. Well thank you.............

for putting me in MY place. I pale in your superior shadow. All of these wonderful technological advances, and people are STILL hungry? There's no greater "return on investment" than a full stomach, a place to live and a job.

"To think that if we didn't spend any money on the space program, it would all be available to help the poor. That's not true."

What I'm saying is, that the money COULD be made available to help the poor. Trying to justify this waste of money in typical bureaucratic parlance is lame, very lame.

So, how many years have you worked for the DOD, or is it NASA?

[Dookus]

9. additionally...

I've spent exactly zero years, days or hours working for the DOD or NASA.

I've never held a government job in my life.

I'm sorry you feel it necessary to question my motives for finding beauty, poetry, and true scientific advancement in the space program.

If you would take an hour or two to research the benefits of the space program, perhaps you'd feel diffently.

[ClintonTyree]

11. I worked R&D.....................

for 29 years and believe me, I'm more aware than you of the tremendous waste involved. 99% failure to justify 1% success. There's nothing to be gained arguing with you. You're obviously impressed with some pretty pictures, I am not. I'd be more impressed with addressing the inequities here on Earth, you see it from a different POV. To each his own.

[pmbryant]

16. 99% failure?

I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. Most US space missions have been successful.

(EDIT: I appear to have misunderstood what you were referring to, which it now seems was R&D in general. So does this mean you think all R&D is a waste of time and money?)

NASA's entire budget makes up 0.7% of federal spending. Less than one percent. And most of that goes to the manned space program (which I also feel is a bit pointless at the moment). Unmanned space probes such as the Mars rovers are really a miniscule part of the federal budget.

Do you really think that if NASA and the space program were eliminated that all of a sudden we would have plenty of money available for other worthwhile, progressive initiatives? NASA's entire yearly budget is 15 Billion dollars. Compare that to Bush's multi-Trillion dollars in tax cuts to the wealthy and a yearly black-hole Defense Department budget of around 400 Billion dollars.

Think also of how many young people are inspired to go into science and engineering careers as a result of the space program. Where would we be as a country without this?

--Peter

[treepig]

19. wow, you had a 1% success rate!

that's great, you outdid mr. thomas edison by two orders of magnitude

Edison was the first to invent a commercially practical incandescent electric light bulb. But according to popular legend, Edison tried more than 10,000 times to perfect the light bulb.

(from http://www.ez-weightloss.com/ez-weightloss/articlefourwaystowin.html)

meaning, edison had a "success" rate of less than 0.01%!

but what about the 99.99% failures?

When he was asked how he managed to persist in the face of continued failure, Edison replied,

"I didn't fail. I just discovered another way not to invent the electric light bulb."

thank god everybody doesn't have your negativity!!

[Rich Hunt]

20. pathfinder

Pathfinder was criticized for not bringing back much scientific information about Mars. But the new mission builds on Pathfinder, so it wasn't at all useless.

[Rich Hunt]

17. thank you.

The amount of money that could take care of social services is a drop in the bucket. It could be done without sacrificing the space program.

I don't believe in exploring space just so we can plant American flags all over the solar system, but in learning more about our neighbors, we learn more about our own planet. This is money well-spent, and it's an excellent educational opportunity as well. Too bad most Americans are more interested in Britney's wedding.

Also, the primary goal is not to snap pictures. Furthermore, I saw the images on NASA TV and they are much more vivid than this one. NASA TV is available online and on cable - people ought to take advantage of this resource.

[Dookus]

8. It's hard to respond to that....

if you think we should give up all exploration and scientific endeavors in favor of growing food for the poor... well.. then... I disagree.

Never in the history of mankind has exploration proven a loss. We have always discovered more value than we invested.

I posted below a small sample of the benefits of the space shuttle program alone. There were similarly spectacular benefits of the Apollo program.

A Mars program would have equivalent payoffs.

There will be poor always. The best way to solve that problem is to advance our species. Demanding that every dollar be spent on eliminating poverty, while admirable, is not a good long-term solution.

[DarkSim]

3. CGI

The pick looks a bit too computer generated to be real for me.

if this pick is real it does give me a warm fuzzy feeling to know that something like that can be accomplished by man.

[Dookus]

10. Please

explain exactly why a picture taken on Mars, relayed to a satellite, relayed to Earth, looks "computer generated".


Are you asserting that the picture is fake? If so, I'm sure I can find you an organization that might well welcome your views.

[Rich Hunt]

18. ha!

My dad told me that already rumors are flying that the Mars landing was faked and photographed in Afghanistan.

:)

[Scottie72]

13. Remember

Mars is not Earth. I know that sounds obvious but the fact is that Mars practically does not have an atomoshpere. The light on Mars does not have to travel through "air" thus the pictures are not distorted like they would be here on Earth.

[Dookus]

5. Here you go...

courtesy of the DU'er Argumentos

And keep in mind these are only the benefits of the space shuttle... NOT the entire space program.

-dookus


Following are some examples of shuttle-based technologies:

(how can anyone reasonably say, after reading this VERY partial list, that space exploration is too expensive/is wasteful/money spent on better things/etc ?)

3-D Biotechnology

Developed for Space Shuttle medical research, a rotating cell-culture
device simulates the microgravity of space. This allows researchers to
grow cells in three dimensions. The device may one day help
researchers find cures for dangerous infectious diseases and offer
alternatives to patients who need organ transplant surgery.


Artificial Heart

Technology used in Space Shuttle fuel pumps led to the development of
a miniaturized ventricular-assist pump by NASA and renowned heart
surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey. The tiny pump, a mere two inches long,
one inch in diameter, and weighing less than four ounces, is currently
undergoing clinical trials in Europe, where it has been successfully
implanted into more than 20 people.


Blood Serum Research

An astronaut's body, once free of gravity's pull, experiences a
redistribution of body fluids that can lead to a decrease in the
number of red blood cells and produce a form of space anemia.
Monitoring and evaluating blood serum was required to understand these
phenomena. However, existing blood-analysis technology required the
use of a centrifugation technology that was not practical in space.
NASA developed new technologies for the collection and real-time
analysis of blood as well as other bodily fluids without the need for
centrifugation.


Artificial Limbs

Responding to a request from the orthopedic-appliance industry, NASA
recommended that the foam insulation used to protect the Shuttle's
external tank replace the heavy, fragile plaster used to produce
master molds for prosthetics. The new material is light, virtually
indestructible, and easy to ship and store.


Lifesaving Light

Special lighting technology developed for plant-growth experiments on
Space Shuttle missions is now used to treat brain tumors in children.
Doctors at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee use
light-emitting diodes in a treatment called photodynamic therapy, a
form of chemotherapy, to kill cancerous tumors.


Taking Temperatures

Infrared sensors developed to remotely measure the temperature of
distant stars and planets for the Space Shuttle program led to the
development of the hand-held optical sensor thermometer. Placed inside
the ear canal, the thermometer provides an accurate reading in two
seconds or less.


Better Balance

Devices built to measure the equilibrium of Space Shuttle astronauts
when they return from space are now widely used by major medical
centers to diagnose and treat patients suffering head injury, stroke,
chronic dizziness and disorders of the central nervous system.


Faster Diagnostics

NASA technology was used to create a compact laboratory instrument for
hospitals and doctor offices. This device quickly analyzes blood,
accomplishing in 30 seconds what once took 20 minutes with
conventional equipment.


Land Mine Removal

The same rocket fuel that helps launch the Space Shuttle is now being
used to save lives -- by destroying land mines. A flare device, using
leftover fuel donated by NASA, is placed next to the uncovered land
mine and is ignited from a safe distance using a battery-triggered
electric match. The explosive burns away, disabling the mine and
rendering it harmless.


Tracking Vehicles on Earth

Tracking information originally used for Space Shuttle missions now
helps track vehicles here on the ground. This commercial spin-off
allows vehicles to transmit a signal back to a home base. Many cities
today use the software to track and reassign emergency and public
works vehicles. The technology also is used by vehicle fleet
operations, such as taxis, armored cars and vehicles carrying
hazardous cargo.


Rescue 911

Rescue squads have a new extrication tool to help remove accident
victims from wrecked vehicles. The hand-held device requires no
auxiliary power systems or cumbersome hoses and is 70 percent cheaper
than previous rescue equipment. The cutter uses a miniature version of
the explosive charges that separate devices on the Space Shuttle.


Byte Out of Crime

Image-processing technology used to analyze Space Shuttle launch
videos and to study meteorological images also helps law enforcement
agencies improve crime-solving videos. The technology removes defects
due to image jitter, image rotation and image zoom in video sequences.
The technology also may be useful for medical imaging, scientific
applications and home video.


Gas Gauges

A gas leak-detection system, originally developed to monitor the
Shuttle's hydrogen propulsion system, is now being used by the Ford
Motor Company in the production of a natural gas-powered car.


Product Labeling

NASA needs to identify, track, and keep records on each of the
thousands of heat-shield tiles on the Space Shuttle. This required a
labeling system that could be put on ceramic material and withstand
the rigors of space travel to be readable after a flight. NASA
developed high data-density, two-dimensional, machine-readable symbol
technology used to mark individual tiles. This novel method of
labeling products with invisible and virtually indestructible markings
can be used on electronic parts, pharmaceuticals and livestock -- in
fact on just about anything.


Keep Cool Under Fire

Materials from the Space Shuttle thermal protection system are used on
NASCAR racing cars to protect drivers from the extreme heat generated
by the engines. This same material is also used to protect
firefighters.


Fire Resistant Foam

A unique foam developed for Space Shuttle thermal insulation and
packing is now being used as thermal and acoustical insulation in
aerospace, marine and industrial products. Since it's also fire
resistant, it's being used as well for fire barriers, packaging and
other applications requiring either high-temperature or very
low-temperature insulation in critical environments. For example, use
of these foam products by airframe manufacturers such as Boeing,
Lockheed-Martin, and Airbus provides major weight savings, while
retaining good thermal and acoustical properties in the various
products.


Fire Sighting

A sensitive, gas infrared camera, used by NASA observers to monitor
the blazing plumes from the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters is
also capable of scanning for fires. Firefighters use this hand-held
camera to pinpoint the hotspots of wildfires that rage out of control.


Jeweler's Gem

Jewelers no longer have to worry about inhaling dangerous asbestos
fibers from the blocks they use as soldering bases. Space Shuttle
heat-shield tiles offer jewelers a safer soldering base with
temperature resistance far beyond the 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit
generated by the jeweler's torch.


Jet Stripping

NASA developed a tool that uses powerful jet streams of water to strip
paint and primer from the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters. A
commercial version of this water jet is now used to treat
turbine-engine components, airframe components, large aerospace
hardware, ships and other mechanical devices, using only pure water.
No hazardous chemicals are needed.


Quick Fit Fasteners

Fastening items in space is a difficult task. A Virginia company
developed a fastener that can be pushed on, rather than turned. These
quick-connect fasteners are flexible and strong, and have been used by
NASA astronauts since 1989. The product is now in use by firefighters
and nuclear power-plant repair technicians, and has other commercial
applications.


Computer Joysticks

Computer games can now be played with all the precision and
sensitivity needed for a safe and soft Space Shuttle touchdown. A
game-controlling joystick for personal computer-based entertainment
systems was modeled after controls used in shuttle simulators.
Astronauts used the joystick to practice runway landings and orbit
maneuvering.


Toys for Tots

Already successful with its Nerf toy products, Hasbro, Inc. wanted to
design a toy glider that a child could fly. Benefiting from NASA
wind-tunnel and aerodynamic expertise used in the Space Shuttle
program, Hasbro improved the flying distances and loop-to-loop stunts
of its toy gliders.


Slick Products

A lubricant used on the transporter that carries a Space Shuttle to
the launch pad has resulted in a commercial penetrating-spray lube,
which is used for rust prevention and loosening corroded nuts. It's
also a cleaner and lubricant for guns and fishing reels, and can be
used to reduce engine friction.


http://www.fas.org/news/usa/2000/usa-001012.htm

[RC]

6. Press Release Images from Mars

http://origin.mars5.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/

[papau]

14. So why a skid mark from a landing where there is only dust?

curious problem - not in above photo but in others.

perhaps the bubble wrap package bounced and skidded through a whole bunch of mud!

[papau]

15. These 2 photos from 1-7 have been added to the JPL site .