Category Archives: Sets

Gorgeous Interactive Panoramas by Andrew Bodrov

Interactive panorama from Mars: Curiosity Rover’s Self Portrait at “John Klein” Drilling Site by
Andrew Bodrov, photographer from Estonia, member of IVRPA (specializing in interactive
panoramic photography).

http://www.360cities.net/image/mars-panorama-curiosity-solar-day-177#-71.41,56.26,31.1

“This self-portrait of NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity combines 66 exposures taken by the rover’s
Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) during the 177th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity’s work on
Mars (Feb. 3, 2013).

At the bottom of this panorama is the hole drilled in a rock. The drilling took place on Feb. 8,
2013, or Sol 182, Curiosity’s 182nd Martian day of operations. The sample-collection hole is 0.63
inch (1.6 centimeters) in diameter and 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) deep. The “mini drill” test
hole near it is the same diameter, with a depth of 0.8 inch (2 centimeters).

The images for full panorama obtained by the rover’s 34-millimeter Mast Camera. The mosaic,
which stretches about 30,000 pixels width, includes 113 images taken on Sol 170 and an
additional 17 images taken on Sol 176.”

Bodrov’s panorama of Mars from Curiosity rover received more that 1,700,000 views
(from August 2012):
Astronomy Picture of the Day:
[click to enlarge]
Curiosity Self-Portrait Panorama

Explanation: This remarkable self-portrait of NASA’s Mars Curiosity Rover includes a sweeping panoramic view of its current location in the Yellowknife Bay region of the Red Planet’s Gale Crater. The rover’s flat, rocky perch, known as “John Klein”, served as the site for Curiosity’s first rock drilling activity. At the foot of the proud looking rover, a shallow drill test hole and a sample collection hole are 1.6 centimeters in diameter. The impressive mosaic was constructed using frames from the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) and Mastcam. Used to take in the panoramic landscape frames, the Mastcam is standing high above the rover’s deck. But MAHLI, intended for close-up work, is mounted at the end of the rover’s robotic arm. The MAHLI frames used to create Curiosity’s self-portrait exclude sections that show the arm itself and so MAHLI and the robotic arm are not seen. Check out this spectacular interactive version of Curiosity’s self-portrait panorama.

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Photographer Andrew Bodrov, a member of the International Virtual Reality Photography Association (IVRPA), has been professionally engaged in panoramic photography for over 12 years. He has shot panoramas for the 3D Tallinn Project, Tallinn Song Festival, Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, Baikonur Cosmodrome as well as hundreds of other panoramas from around the world.

"Unrestricted Dreamspace" Mojave Air and Space Port Tour (2011)

“You got an idea, and you want to try something, come up here and we’ll help ya.”
“We’ll figure out a place – even if it’s just a little shack someplace – so you can start your business.”
“Why did Orville and Wilbur go to Kitty Hawk? They went for three reasons: they wanted to get away from the press, freedom from industrial espionage, and…

“…a steady breeze.”
“You know, the same things exist in Mojave today.” 
“There’s no other mecca of rocket powered airplanes than this place right here.”
“With Edwards right next door. The reason is because its such a wonderful natural area for testing rocket planes.”
“In the middle of nowhere, nobody else wants to be here. So we do.”
“You would not believe the Wild Ideas that walk in this place.” 
“And we don’t look at them as Wild Ideas.”
“We actually take some internal pride in hosting people who are willing to try.” 
“Every day you see something in the sky here at the Mojave Airport. 
It is a very interesting place to be.”
“It’s the world center of odd looking airplanes that do amazing things.”
“We get to know the people who are twisting the wrenches.”
“We were able to perform over five thousand rocket tests in the last ten years.”
“When you project that ahead exponentially that is a game changer in 
the rocket powered flight industry.” 
“Nowhere else does that happen.”
“I keep telling the world, if we are successful at Mojave, hopefully, the world will have many commercial vehicles to fly in space.”