Posted on 09/21/2012 7:28:24 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The first rock that NASA's Curiosity rover will touch for science's sake on Mars is a pyramid-shaped chunk that's been named in honor of a top engineer who worked on every one of NASA's rover missions — but passed away just days after Curiosity's landing.
Curiosity's study of the rock, dubbed "Jake Matijevic," will dominate the next few days of the rover's operations on Mars, just as its observations of Martian mini-eclipses dominated the past few days.
Jake the rock, which measures about 10 inches (25 centimeters) tall and 16 inches (40 centimeters) wide, isn't all that exotic. It seems to consist of garden-variety basalt, similar to the first Martian rock that NASA's Spirit rover examined eight and a half years ago. And that's exactly the point, according to Caltech's John Grotzinger, project scientist for the Curiosity mission. Jake will provide a good yardstick for sophisticated instruments such as the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer, or APXS, and the laser-zapping ChemCam analyzer.
By matching up the chemical readings from the different instruments, Curiosity's science team will be able to confirm that the findings from the fancy-schmancy ChemCam are consistent with the readings from the APXS, an upgraded version of a device that was included on the Spirit and Opportunity rovers. Grotzinger told reporters today that it's an opportunity to compare "something which is tried and true with the latest and greatest new technology."
ChemCam can focus on areas that are less than a millimeter (0.04 inch) wide, while the APXS' best resolution ranges around 1.5 centimeters (0.6 inch).
(Excerpt) Read more at cosmiclog.nbcnews.com ...
They could have named a hill, or a depression or a plateau after the guy.... but a little rock?
Somehow, in a world where one of NASA’s premiere objectives is to make Muslims secure in the trumped up knowledge of Islam’s collective contributions to science, et al, trumpeting the spectacle of naming a rock and getting closer to it seems appropos - wastewise.
We have a CDC that marvels in the medical implications of the disease of guns, wife-beating and flu strains they’ve likely created. We have a Federal Government that actually advertises to tell leeches how to apply for Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and goes the last mile in getting every eligible leech applying for their “Earned” Income Tax Credit (EITC)....and on and on and on and on.
How many billions for a closer look at this rock? Several, likely...oh well, it’s just a drop in the bucket when compared to all the other Obama programs that will decimate us in the end. Nope, no worries here....
It would be nice if we found a perfect planet out there where we could all go and live and let the Muzzies destroy themselves here on Earth.
Or better yet, “let Christian out, don’t forget to press that red button”
The next rover’s only mission will be to drop a Koran or something
“last Christian out, don’t forget to press that red button”
next target: a hill called Elwood
“Forget it, Jake, it’s Mars.”
I think he is lucky to be mentioned at all considering his tiny contribution compared to the giant, stupendous, world-changing contributions of the moslems.
EARTHLINGS: YOU CONTINUE TO ATTACK OUR PLANET WITH YOUR PUNY LASER DEVICES! YOU WILL IMMEDIATELY CEASE THIS PROVOCATIVE ACTION! IF ONE MORE OF OUR ROCKS IS ATTACKED, WE WILL RESPOND WITH ONE OF OUR BILL MAHER BOMBS! IT SPUTTERS AND MAKES SOME NOISE, THEN IT CRAPS OUT LIKE A DUD. THIS WILL BE YOUR FINAL WARNING! The Martians
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