Curiosity's 1st Year on Mars

[Pixel of Life]

I dunno if it's been said already but I got a protip when making skycranes from some forum users the other day, if it's big and heavy (like Curiosity) you need to make sure that the engines STAY BELLOW center mass! otherwise the gimbals go haywire and the thing flips over, oh also, a drouge shoot on top helps with stability on decent

One could also use KAS to hang the rover from a winch under the skycrane. By angling the engines inward the thing should descend vertically without any user input. It should, of course, have a drogue chute on top to slow it down enough to use the skycrane and to keep it stable when extending the winch.

[The Jedi Master]

When is the day of the anniversary? I can post it then, barring some event.

[Guest]

Somebody needs to spend billions of dollars and send it a birthday hat.

[Sapphire]

Somebody needs to spend billions of dollars and send it a birthday hat.

Or someone needs to get on Adobe After Effects and make a skycrane drop a birthday hat on it.

[XkaOnslaught]

I havent designed a Curiosity Rover yet, but i made a Sojourner from the Mars Pathfinder.

Sojuner-Rover by XkaOnslaught, on Flickr

[DerekL1963]

I dunno if it's been said already but I got a protip when making skycranes from some forum users the other day, if it's big and heavy (like Curiosity) you need to make sure that the engines STAY BELLOW center mass! otherwise the gimbals go haywire and the thing flips over, oh also, a drouge shoot on top helps with stability on decent

Or you just turn off gimbaling and rely on reaction wheels for attitude control.

[DJEN]

I was quite controversial regarding the skycrane, but it worked anyway.

Still, a year on mars! How great is that! It's like spirit and opportunity all over again!

[kookoo_gr]

My take on the Curiosity landing. The rover is eco friendly since having 3 RTG's was bringing havoc to the whole rocket design

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[DMagic]

Here's my submission; I call it Indifference, Curiosity's lazier relative.

Full mission report here:

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/showthread.php/44140-Indifference-A-Curiosity-First-Anniversary-Tribute

[The Jedi Master]

I think we should all post a Curiosity-style rover on August 6th, and try to land near the camera Easter egg.

[Tw1]

Somebody needs to spend billions of dollars and send it a birthday hat.

Look at this NASA page! They've taken your idea! (Kinda.)

http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/1stbday/?go=20130803

Edit:

Here's a quick skycrane test. Maybe I'll have enough time to give it a go.

Now I just need to make a rover thats under two tones.

Next time: Use the DROMOMAN arms to make a realistic Curiosity....

Made a Curiosity:

But despite the CoM and CoT looking lined up, it only cartwheels under the skycrane. Problem.

Edited August 4, 2013 by Tw1

[Mach56]

I have a NASA news page if your interested.

Here.

[DChurchill]

No skycrane. Just parachutes. From .20.

[ecat]

From the latest NASA press release...

Looks like they've been planning this for quite some time

[JamesClonk]

Here's mine.

Complete Gallery - New Kuriosity Mission - http://imgur.com/a/63Whx

It comes with a full set of KethaneMod parts, everything thats needed to survey, mine and process kethane.

Plus lots of other sciency attachments..

I liked Sapphires idea with the landing legs in front to keep the rover from flipping over, so I added it too.

The mission was a success, but with one small problem:

After the rover had landed, I realized I had forgot to put lights on it.

D'oh!

[Kerbface]

From the latest NASA press release...

Looks like they've been planning this for quite some time

XD That's adorable.

[Tw1]

Well, I couldn't resist. Many squashed rovers later, "Inquisitivity" is now sitting in my VAB, and I dare not touch it incase the fairings come off again.

I'll probably do the mission in a day or two. I will need to use MJ's translatatron, there's no way I could operate this skycrane entirely manually.

Why? Here's a little teaser:

That was Bill hooking up the KAS for the final test flight!

Edit: Realised my parachute is set too far down the staging sequence, and I just closed the game. I'll fix that at launch next time.

If someone could get me the coordinates for the target (The underground rover camera) That'd be great.

Edited August 4, 2013 by Tw1

[Pugspaceprogram]

I found this, i was hoping that i wasnt ninja'd first though!

[Spartwo]

redid Inquisitive with correct staging this time.

Parachute assisted landing

[ecat]

XD That's adorable.

Glad you like it.

My first ever play with Photoshop. In my day it would only be possible with snopake, scissors and a photocopier lol.

[MalfunctionM1Ke]

Today is the Day Fellas.

Post as much Images or Videos as you like.

Happy Anniversary, Curiosity!

[RedMac]

Dropped one by parachute, as it landed (quite nicely) it bounced on the wheels and came to rest upside down. I decided then to try again but this time id do a hover drop, worked well but i was a bit busy to snap a screen, took this one with the drop ship already 1k away

[The Jedi Master]

My first attempt did not end well.

I will go!

[mellojoe]

My Tribute, stock parts, no mechjeb

I'll leave you one teaser image:

[BeefTenderloin]

After many explosions, and many failed staging set ups, I have finally launched ScienceTank to Duna! The landing system does not utilise a skycrane, and instead uses a system more akin to Spirit/Opportunity. I tried to make the rover look like Curiosity, but it kind of looks roughly like the lovechild of Spirit/Opportunity and Curiosity

The launch -

The cruise stage arrives at Duna

Preparing for entry into the Dunan atmosphere

Due to a miscalculation, the parachute needed to deploy early to gain some emergency drag, otherwise there was a good chance we may have had an impact probe rather than a lander.

The parachute shortly thereafter snapped/burnt off, leading to an emergency firing of the landing engines!

Aaaanddd...Touchdown!

Rover and Base landed and deployed! The rover communicates to the base via the small antenna, and the base then signals back to KSC using the big dish antenna!