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The wifi reception is really shitty up there. Jest aside: More pixels, more bandwidth needed and if you think about how much bandwidth wifi systems were capable

The wifi reception is really shitty up there. Jest aside: More pixels, more bandwidth needed and if you think about how much bandwidth wifi systems were capable of achieving 10 years ago, they're probably at the edge of what they could use without resorting to cutting edge tech. You also have to transmit the data from the lander to the orbiter in a reasonably short timeframe since the lander is not always visible from the orbiter. Maybe they have higher res pictures still on the orbiter that will download later when there's bandwith left.

vacri 12y ago
Not only 10 years ago, but also "known reliable equipment" from 10 years ago. Cutting-edge technical equipment usually isn't sent up on these things due to the propensity for unknown bugs.
- unclebucknasty 12y ago
  Yes, known reliable is what I meant. Or, more accurately, best reliable. Seems like we certainly had better 10 years ago. Just really odd that this tremendous feat couldn't be paired with much better imaging tech. I mean, the imaging is strikingly poor and unimpressive compared to the rest of the mission.
  - unclebucknasty 12y ago
    Found the answer. Those who mentioned that it was state of the art for the time were correct. The main camera, OSIRIS, is only 4 megapixels. Also, the camera cost $100MM, which is a significant percentage of the overall mission. So, it's not as if they were skimping.
unclebucknasty 12y ago
Yeah, I think this mission was worthy of a cutting edge imaging solution though! As far as transmission windows, well we had download-continuation browser solutions back then. Seriously, not to say it's that simple, but this mission solved much harder problems than imaging would seem to pose. Really would be interested in knowing how the imgaging solution selection process went and what the key drivers were.
- Xylakant 12y ago
  Sure, they certainly have download-continuation deployed, but they also have a lot of data and a very narrow channel and time window - the lander had only battery for 68 hours most of the time the lander is not visible to the orbiter. The problem is not imaging. The lens is certainly magnitudes better than you can see on the pictures, but transmitting all those pixels back to earth is the real problem. TCP kinda gets hard if RTT is approximately one hour.
  - unclebucknasty 12y ago
    68 hours was the lander's initial battery life. The solar panels were to recharge the batteries, and the expected operation was up to 3 months. The expected hard stop is March 2015, when the comet's orbit will take it close enough to the sun that the tech is not expected to survive the heat. Rosetta is also equipped with solar arrays.
- sondr3 12y ago
  None of the probes has ever used what could be called cutting edge equipment, the science behind it all is cutting edge but you can't put a camera, lenses or processors on a device going into outer space without having done some serious testing. It's just easier to do it with devices and such that have a long track record of working with radiation, incredible cold and so on. I totally know where you're coming from though, having Curiosity or Rosetta be equipped with some serious photographical capabilities would've been awesome. But I doubt any of the firms are going to put any kind of cutting edge imaging solution on them any time soon.
  - unclebucknasty 12y ago
    I hear you, but it's hard to imagine we didn't have better, reliable tech at the time, including hardening for the environment. And, at a minimum, seems they could've developed the tech in concert, and still retained the lower quality camera as a backup.
  - rasz_pl 12y ago
    >you can't put a camera, lenses or processors on a device going into outer space without having done some serious testing old timers have been saying this for a very long time, and it took years to convince someone to JUST FUCKING SHOOT A PHONE UP THERE http://www.space.com/21036-space-smartphones-photos-nasa-phonesats.html http://www.space.com/21036-space-smartphones-photos-nasa-pho... Shaun Meehan (almost 100 private satellites currently in orbit, all more or less smartphones in space) talks about this in the podcast: http://www.theamphour.com/220-an-interview-with-shaun-meehan-doctiloquent-dove-deployer/ http://www.theamphour.com/220-an-interview-with-shaun-meehan...

vacri 12y ago

Not only 10 years ago, but also "known reliable equipment" from 10 years ago. Cutting-edge technical equipment usually isn't sent up on these things due to the propensity for unknown bugs.

unclebucknasty 12y ago
Yes, known reliable is what I meant. Or, more accurately, best reliable. Seems like we certainly had better 10 years ago. Just really odd that this tremendous feat couldn't be paired with much better imaging tech. I mean, the imaging is strikingly poor and unimpressive compared to the rest of the mission.
- unclebucknasty 12y ago
  Found the answer. Those who mentioned that it was state of the art for the time were correct. The main camera, OSIRIS, is only 4 megapixels. Also, the camera cost $100MM, which is a significant percentage of the overall mission. So, it's not as if they were skimping.

unclebucknasty 12y ago

Yeah, I think this mission was worthy of a cutting edge imaging solution though! As far as transmission windows, well we had download-continuation browser solutions back then. Seriously, not to say it's that simple, but this mission solved much harder problems than imaging would seem to pose. Really would be interested in knowing how the imgaging solution selection process went and what the key drivers were.

Xylakant 12y ago
Sure, they certainly have download-continuation deployed, but they also have a lot of data and a very narrow channel and time window - the lander had only battery for 68 hours most of the time the lander is not visible to the orbiter. The problem is not imaging. The lens is certainly magnitudes better than you can see on the pictures, but transmitting all those pixels back to earth is the real problem. TCP kinda gets hard if RTT is approximately one hour.
- unclebucknasty 12y ago
  68 hours was the lander's initial battery life. The solar panels were to recharge the batteries, and the expected operation was up to 3 months. The expected hard stop is March 2015, when the comet's orbit will take it close enough to the sun that the tech is not expected to survive the heat. Rosetta is also equipped with solar arrays.
sondr3 12y ago
None of the probes has ever used what could be called cutting edge equipment, the science behind it all is cutting edge but you can't put a camera, lenses or processors on a device going into outer space without having done some serious testing. It's just easier to do it with devices and such that have a long track record of working with radiation, incredible cold and so on. I totally know where you're coming from though, having Curiosity or Rosetta be equipped with some serious photographical capabilities would've been awesome. But I doubt any of the firms are going to put any kind of cutting edge imaging solution on them any time soon.
- unclebucknasty 12y ago
  I hear you, but it's hard to imagine we didn't have better, reliable tech at the time, including hardening for the environment. And, at a minimum, seems they could've developed the tech in concert, and still retained the lower quality camera as a backup.
- rasz_pl 12y ago
  >you can't put a camera, lenses or processors on a device going into outer space without having done some serious testing old timers have been saying this for a very long time, and it took years to convince someone to JUST FUCKING SHOOT A PHONE UP THERE http://www.space.com/21036-space-smartphones-photos-nasa-phonesats.html http://www.space.com/21036-space-smartphones-photos-nasa-pho... Shaun Meehan (almost 100 private satellites currently in orbit, all more or less smartphones in space) talks about this in the podcast: http://www.theamphour.com/220-an-interview-with-shaun-meehan-doctiloquent-dove-deployer/ http://www.theamphour.com/220-an-interview-with-shaun-meehan...