Mars Rover 3D Camera To Get James Cameron's Input

PASADENA, Calif. — "Avatar" director James Cameron is helping to build a high-resolution 3-D camera on the next-generation Mars rover.

The camera will be mounted atop Curiosity, the next rover mission to Mars set for launch next year.

Pasadena's Jet Propulsion Laboratory scaled back its plans in 2007 to mount a 3-D camera atop Curiosity because the upcoming flagship mission to Mars was consistently over budget and behind schedule.

But Cameron lobbied NASA administrator Charles Bolden for inclusion of the 3-D camera during a January meeting, saying a rover with a better set of eyes will help the public connect with the mission.

Bolden was convinced.

San Diego-based Malin Space Science Systems is now building the 3-D mast camera with Cameron listed as co-investigator.

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Information from: Pasadena Star-News, http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/

Comments

[tidalwave4455]

11:09 AM on 04/30/2010

HP members keep saying that 'Repugs' comment without knowing what they are talking about...
Here is another example...someone knows Cameron is a director but knows nothing else about him...so they immediately start to denigrate him.
While making 'Titantic', Cameron and his brother found that no manufacturer made a large format camera that could take the water pressure at that depth. They had to build their own cameras. Also, no one had the capability of the intense lighting required for lighting. They had to build their own deep-sea lighting.
When 'Avatar' started, the Cameron brothers had spent millions to develop a Sony-HiDef-Stereo video camera.
No one at NASA has the capability that the Cameron company has for videography.
'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing'...the far-right proves the point!

[drray23]

11:37 PM on 04/29/2010

That is presponderous. He is an excellent director but certainly not a scientist. He is not "building" anything. Saying it is so is insulting to the scientists who have worked years to develop the technology. At best he is lending is name to raise the PR profile of the project.

[mrjames1]

09:11 AM on 05/02/2010

Good director. Huge thi-ef. What 3D techology theft cri-me is this one Jimmy boy? Why are you trying to steal and reverse engineer those Estonians camera?

http://www.baltic-course.com/eng/Technology/?doc=22108

you are a two bit thief, stop the stealing. Complete doushe bagg