Anyway a couple of questions i keep seeing POP up around the net time after time, So i though i would open a thread and answer these questions and talk about them
Q - How much Did Curiosity Rover Cost:
A - $2.5 Billion was the expect cost for the making of this machine, It was over ran and added another $1 to the final cost.
The Final Machine Cost £3.5 Billion
Q - We send a $3.5 Billion Machine to Mars, and we get a Black and White image back. But my Iphone can take better pictures, Are they stupid.....
A - No There not. Actually all we received back was a VERY LOW Res Image, They wanted something back quick, A test that all communications are working etc.
Q - Why request for a Low Res Image, when you can have a Colour HD Image?
A - The Distance between Mars and Earth is between 54.6 million to kilometers and 401 million km (Pending on the rotation)
Yet you cannot drive 50 Miles on earth without loosing your Signal to your Favorite Radio Station in the car....
Yet we have Masts and Dishes everywhere to bounce these signals around. So how is a Small Rover with a Dish the size of a Cup going to send Files back that quick.....
In simple it takes a WHILE to receive any data back, never mind images.
But there is more to it than that, There is only a Couple of Dishes on the Earth that are capable of sending and receiving information that far.
And there not freely available neither. Everyone uses these dishes, From people on Spacestations wanting to talk to family and friednds, to sending info and receiving info from multiple satalights.
They have to book a Time Slot in where they can use this Dish and send info and receive.
BUT WAIT, There is more, As where on two different Planets, that rotate at different Speeds and different Sizes, they have to book it in at a time when the Dish and Rover is pointing to one another.......
Or they have to relay the information of the Satalight that Orbits Mars adding a Further Delay to the whole process.
So in simple, Its not a Quick, Push a button, Lets get some info and control the robot.
The robot might move once a day for a hour if that.
Expect results to come in very slow.
As they say "Patience is a virtue"
