New NASA rover make shots of its landing

Engineers equipped with a video camera apparatus MARDI (Mars Descent Imager — a device for shooting landing), are able to record a speed of four frames per second. Camera resolution is 1600 by 1200 pixels. She will start work for two minutes before the scheduled time of landing the rover and take up time dropping heat shield. Then the camera will record the actual landing site and Martian landscape for several miles around.

The resulting MARDI video will be stored in memory the rover and transmitted to Earth in parts. Curiosity, as well as other rovers can «communicate» with the scientists only through orbiters, orbiting Mars. Therefore, periods of data are limited in time, when these vehicles pass over the place where the rover.

Curiosity Landing on Mars is scheduled for August 2012. Until May 2009 this unit is called the Mars Science Laboratory, but then NASA has assigned him a new name selected in the competition. The author of the title was 12-year-old schoolgirl. Curiosity will be equipped with a set of scientific instruments that will enable him to study the chemical and mineralogical properties of Martian rocks. Energy for the operation of the equipment will come from radioisotope source. Starting rover was originally scheduled for 2009, but due to the difficulties encountered him later moved in 2011.