NOTE:- Click 'watch in high quality'.4 short video clips by JPL regarding the recent Pheonix landing on Mars (some of the quality has been reduced due to being uploaded to YouTube so I recommend you download from the source). Date- 26th Mars 08. Source- http://www-a.jpl.nasa.gov/mult media/0:00- Phoenix's Position on MarsThis animation shows an orbital view sweeping upward from Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system, to the location of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander in the northern polar reaches of Mars. The animation then zooms in on the flat terrain where Phoenix touched down May 25, 2008. Phoenix eased down to the surface of Mars at approximately 68 degrees north latitude, 234 degrees east longitude, landing in the center of the red circle at the end of the animation. Before Phoenix landed, engineers had predicted it would land within the blue ellipse. Phoenix touched down on the Red Planet at 4:53 p.m. Pacific Time (7:53 p.m. Eastern Time), May 25, 2008, in an arctic region called Vastitas Borealis. The shaded relief map is based on data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter. 0:24- How Phoenix Gets a Look at its FootingThis artist's animation shows how NASA's three-legged Phoenix Mars Lander is able to get a better look at its footing and the physical characteristics of the underlying soil on the surface of the Red Planet. Because the Surface Stereo Imager is able to swivel in any compass direction as well as up and down, it can "see" and take snapshots of the footpad beneath the camera's location near one edge of the spacecraft deck. Each footpad is about the size of a large dinner plate, measuring 11.5 inches from rim to rim. The base of the footpad is shaped like the bottom of a shallow bowl to provide stability. The footpad image was taken by the spacecraft's Surface Stereo Imager at 17:07 local Mars time, shortly after landing May 25, 2008. 0:36- How Phoenix Talks to EarthThis animation shows how NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander stays in contact with Earth. As NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter passes overhead approximately every two hours, Phoenix transmits images and scientific data from the surface to the orbiter, which then relays the data to NASA's Deep Space Network of antennas on Earth. Similarly, NASA's Deep Space Network transmits instructions from Earth to Odyssey, which then relays the information to Phoenix. 1:16- Looking out Across the Martian Polar PlainsThis movie shows the vast plains of the northern polar region of Mars, as seen by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander shortly after touching down on the Red Planet. The flat landscape is strewn with tiny pebbles and shows polygonal cracking, a pattern seen widely in Martian high latitudes and also observed in permafrost terrains on Earth. The polygonal cracking is believed to have resulted from seasonal freezing and thawing of surface ice. This is an approximate-color image taken by the spacecraft's Surface Stereo Imager, inferred from two color filters, a violet, 450-nanometer filter and an infrared, 750-nanometer filter. The Phoenix Mission is led by the University of Arizona, Tucson, on behalf of NASA. Project management of the mission is by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Spacecraft development is by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.
DTN Flight Validation Experiment( https://www.spacecomm.nasa.gov spacecomm/programs/technology/dtn/ )October 18, 2008:The ION DTN software was successfully uploaded to the EPOXI spacecraft and activated on the backup flight computer and network traffic was observed being sent and received to/from the spacecraft in the DINET Experiment Operations Center.October 20, 2008:Images were successfully received at JPL via the first instance of an interplanetary network from the EPOXI spacecraft located approximately 80 light seconds from Earth. These same images were transmitted to the EPOXI spacecraft about 3 hrs earlier via the same network.October 22, 2008:During experiment Pass 2, 264046 bytes (5 images) delivered. ~97.6% link utilization.October 27 & 29, 2008:DINET tracking passes 3 and 4 were conducted. All contacts were completed successfully, with no diagnostic messages reported by the DINET software.November 3, 2008:During the 5th DSN tracking pass of the DINET experiment, an additional 35 image files totaling 1,587,420 bytes were delivered via the interplanetary network to image reception software in the DINET Experiment Operations Center.--The Deep Impact Networking Experiment is sponsored by the Space Communications and Navigation Office in NASA's Space Operations and Mission Directorate in Washington.
A thick chunk of Arctic sea ice the size of two states has disappeared. Is it global warming or normal causes?A new NASA-led study found a 23-percent loss in the extent of the Arctic's thick, year-round sea ice cover during the past two winters. Between winter 2005 and winter 2007, the perennial ice shrunk by an area the size of Texas and California combined. This drastic reduction of perennial winter sea ice is the primary cause of the fastest-ever sea ice retreat on record this summer. Scientists say the rapid decline in winter perennial ice was caused by unusual winds. For more information go to: www.jpl.nasa.gov
ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Legged Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) is a large six-legged robotic lunar rover under development by NASA.The first prototype is greater than 4 meters in diameter with more than 6 m reach, and is designed to be able to both roll and walk for maximum efficiency over a wide range of terrains. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a multi-purpose system capable of docking or mating with special-purpose devices, including a launchable/releasable grappling hook, refueling stations, excavation implements, and/or special end effectors. The legs have 6 degrees of freedom for generalized robotic manipulation. Each ATHLETE is intended to have a payload capacity of 450 kg, with the capability of docking multiple ATHLETE vehicles together to support larger loads.The project's goals are:* Able to move at 10 km/h over terrain similar to that found at the Apollo landing sites* Climb vertical steps of at least 70% of the maximum stowed dimension of the vehicle* Climb slopes of 35° on rock and 25° on soft sand* Be stowed and docked compactly for launch into an annular ring so that many vehicles can be efficiently stacked around a main payload on a single lander* Self-deploy from compact storage on lunar landers* Traverse almost any terrain, including vertical rock faces or sandy slopes at the angle of repose by using a launchable/releasable grappling hookATHLETE's purpose is to support lunar exploration operations. One hypothetical mission scenario features a mobile manned "base" supported by ATHLETEs, capable of traversing thousands of kilometers and setting down temporarily to study interesting features along the way.
A look at Mars up close through the lens of a high resolution camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The views of gullies, craters and ice layers are truly remarkable.For more information go to :www.jpl.nasa.gov.
Scientists at NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have been monitoring asteroid 2007 TU24, which will pass about 344,000 miles of Earth tomorrow (Jan. 29) at 12:33 a.m. Pacific time (3:33 a.m. Eastern time).
This is a bit of a remake to my old The Lost World themed video. It features skins I've created for the Jurassic Park Legacy Canon skin pack, and is set to the "Alternate The Lost World Theme" track thanks to BrachioInGen. The video features dinosaurs that are found on Isla Sorna, and not all the skins featured in the skin pack from JPL are shown in this video. Visit Jurassic Park Legacy to download the skin pack for the PC version of JPOG.
http://UFO-MEDIA.COM Developed in the summer of 2004, this animation visulaizes launch in August 2007 and entry, descent, and landing of the Phoenix Mars Mission in May 2008. Currently the animation is in the rough-cut phase and is being modified as the spacecraft develops. The animation was created by Maas Digital under the direction of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Solar System Visualization Project.
Former JPL archivist and oral historian Dr. John Bluth (deceased) talks about the origins of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The early association of Jack Parsons, Ed Forman and Frank Malina. This interview was conducted in the spring of 1998.
A Battle for the Chibi BadgeFifth Battle of the JPL Winter LeagueGym Leader linksage vs BlooperGod (snowbubbleslord)Participants can contact me over youtube or leave a message in HQ requesting to challenge a gym.You can become a participant simply by going here ( http://linksage.webs.com ) and signing up, OR by leaving a comment with your name and fc here. Note: Badge was not awarded due to apparent use of a hacking device (Charizard, Lucario and Blastoise were not in pokeballs)
John-Paul Lavosier and Farah Aired April 22, 2008No copyright infringement intended.Thanks Amanda for sending me the clips!** I would have uploaded the whole show, but it was 42 something minutes of footage. I clipped the JPL/FF parts for the Rex & Gigi fans on these two boards: http://z15.invisionfree.com/Gi i_and_Rex/index.php http://z15.invisionfree.com/Gix/index.php
