PS: Where the BA’s book has been. Well, it wasn’t at Large Chain Bookstore cum Coffeeshop, but it is in transit to me.

The reflectance makes this a tempting hypotheses, but I couldn’t believe the cheap way color information is provided or rather unfortunately not in this case, see Lakdawalla’s blog. What has the lidar that those puny LEDs doesn’t have, apart from no interest in specific color bands reflected?

[Actually, good for NASA that they find ways to cut some corners. But too bad when things gets interesting.]

The bricks getting blown out I understand, the buckled concrete is a little strange though.

Looks like brick like concrete that is cracked and blown out. As it is likely reinforced, it can probably crack and bend on the iron during stress, and that could be part of what happened to those larger bricks.

The rovers are way more interesting when they stop and find things or travel huge distances to check other sites.

AFAIU the idea is that the probes, besides being in principle cheaper and less likely to fail et cetera, can land on places where the rovers can’t traverse to. Presumably this is one such place, despite the locally flat geography.

I believe NASA likes a half-and-half, each time doing an alternate type of mission.

“what you in”

Blogging … *sigh*, not professionally, no.

It looks cool, and makes a great paperweight

Besides, the shuttle crew will inspect the craft fully after they get the spare arm off of and depart ISS.

Either way, I can’t wait to find out what the ice has in it. This has been one of the most interesting probes I have been around to hear about. The rovers are way more interesting when they stop and find things or travel huge distances to check other sites. The fact that they have been operating for as long as they have is truly a testament to the scientists and engineers that developed them!

Viva la Mars!

The bricks getting blown out I understand, the buckled concrete is a little strange though.