(Seriously though, that's way disappointing)
And there's no flash memory that they could record an MPEG and upload it sometime later?
Four frames per second:http://www.msss.com/all_projects/msl-mardi.phpAs Jim says, though, none transmitted in real time.
IIRC, that's a big improvement over what we got from MER. Wasn't that about 6 images total?
And there's no flash memory that they could record an MPEG and upload it sometime later?Think of the extra interest they'd actually capture in the general public if they could show how awesome this landing is going to be on TV...
Quote from: Lee Jay on 05/01/2012 04:08 pmIIRC, that's a big improvement over what we got from MER. Wasn't that about 6 images total?Yes, 3 DIMES images per rover. Phoenix was supposed to capture similar footage to MSL but a late-discovered incompatibility with other flight hardware caused it to be turned off instead.
It wouldn't show any of the deployments. All it would show is the surface approaching. Nothing that would capture interest.
If they can fit an HD camera in the tiny little corner of an iPhone, I can't believe they couldn't mill out 10 grams of Al. from some panel somewhere in the chassis of the thing to make up the mass difference and send back HD footage of some of the more interesting components during landing.
Should they not have had any live footage from the moon during Apollo? Since it's not scientific?
I'm coming at this from the generation that is interested in space because it generates an emotion of excitement and hope for the future more than anything else.