[meteorite-list] Curiosity Update - August 10, 2012

[Ron Baalke]

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/news/whatsnew/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=1305

Curiosity Preps for a Planned 'Brain Transplant'
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
August 10, 2012

A healthy Curiosity spent Sol 4, its fifth day on Mars, preparing for this 
weekend's planned "brain transplant"--transitioning to a new version of 
flight software on both of Curiosity's redundant main computers. The new 
software is better suited for Mars surface operations, such as driving and 
using Curiosity's robotic arm. The "brain transplant" will take place during 
a series of steps beginning this evening and continuing through Aug. 13. The 
new software was uploaded to the rover's memory during the Mars Science 
Laboratory spacecraft's flight from Earth. Key capabilities in the new software 
enable full use of Curiosity's powerful robotic arm and drill, and advanced 
image processing to check for obstacles while driving. This will ultimately 
allow Curiosity to make longer drives by giving the rover more autonomy to 
identify and avoid potential hazards and to drive along a safe path that the 
rover identifies for itself.

The flight team elected to defer further science 
activities until after the flight software transition is completed. Several 
Mastcam color images were downlinked. The mission's science team is busy 
analyzing images Curiosity has taken of its surroundings, and is discussing 
features of interest that they will investigate in a few weeks once initial 
checkouts of the rover and the landing site are completed.