The Descent of MSL (Curiosity) Captured by HiRISE
Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter snapped a picture 1 minute before touch down
as Curiosity descended to the surface of Mars.
The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera captured this image of Curiosity while the orbiter was listening to transmissions from Curiosity.
HiRISE had been targeted at the expected location of MSL about 1 minute prior to landing.
HiRISE had been targeted at the expected location of MSL about 1 minute prior to landing.
This image shows MSL near the eastern edge of the swath width, which means that MSL was a bit further east or downrange than predicted.
Curiosity and its parachute are in the center of the white box; and a separate image is a smaller cutout of MSL stretched to avoid saturation. The rover is landing on the etched plains just north of the sand dunes that fringe “Mt. Sharp.”The parachute appears fully inflated and performing perfectly. Details in the parachute such as the band gap at the edges and the central hole are clearly visible. The Curiosity rover and its landing sky crane system were released from the backshell sometime after this image was acquired.
The above text was mostly copied from a report by Alfred McEwen of Arizona University on August 6, 2012
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