Curiosity Mars Rover - Educational Variant?

[Paper Kosmonaut]

As I just built this model I am not going to do it again any time soon, but looking at the photo description I'd say you did an outstanding job, Yogi. It looks great.

To my eyes there is just one (more or less) confusing picture and that's the one after #8, where you show the straw attached to the two bogeys. It might suggest to glue it there and then in the process, even though there is not a number in the photo. You could place the photo in a circular frame to emphasize it is not part of the building sequence.
(but it also might be due to my own mental limitations that I get this idea... (-; )

[Retired_for_now]

Good point, P_K. Intent was to show what you're cutting the straw for, otherwise you only see the stubs coming out of the chassis later on. I'll clarify. Thanks. BTW, idea is for you to pass on the model to your protege or one of your groupies and let them build it ...

Awesome skycrane, Michael! It will be interesting to see how you scale up the aeroshell that much. Probably need some internal vertical (triangles) and radial (circles) formers to make it solid.

Thanks, Tim. I've offered several models to NASA - they don't seem interested. Sent them the 1:12 scale Curiosity Rover a while ago ...
However, the mission teams are more receptive. The university and mission teams host the LCROSS lunar impactor model, Mercury MESSENGER probe, James Webb Space Telescope, and the Juno Jupiter probe. I've sent this version of Curiosity to the Planetary Society for their use (we'll see).

Yogi

[mk310149]

Originally Posted by Retired_for_now

I built out the Rover (reduced), Skycrane, and Aeroshell (expanded with a poster print, then spliced parts back together) at 1:24 for this:
Attachment 137915

....

Yogi

Yogi, my wife has a good idea: This Diorama would be a perfect desk lamp, if you make the heat shield shining.....perhaps I will do this!

[joeblow321]

Just got done with it this morning.

Great model. I had no problem with the picture instructions except for (21,22)"Box D" I cut slits so it would be tight. but did not know if this is what you wanted.

I did a few things not on the instructions. I made two copy's of the suspension and sandwiched them on cardboard so I would have detail on both sides. Also made two of the inside wheel then glued them back to back on the wheels. I used pins to make it so the arm can move and used a straw so that the mast can rotate. Well that about all from me. Keep up the great work.
MSL Curiosity Rover 1/24 scale

How I made it pictures are at this link (Curiosity)

[mk310149]

I have changed the wheels of the rover (1:12), because they looks not really good....
It's an easy way to make it looks like original...
double the profile, cut out the openings and make a easy rim....

[Retired_for_now]

Beautifully done, Joe ... take the basic box and make it your own superb creation!

Outstanding wheels, Michael. I was stumped on how to do the curved spokes in paper on the original design effort - you've come up with a great solution.

Yogi (now go find a school, library, or museum with a display case for these beauties!)

[Retired_for_now]

Originally Posted by mk310149

Yogi, my wife has a good idea: This Diorama would be a perfect desk lamp, if you make the heat shield shining.....perhaps I will do this!

Just re-read this one. Cool idea. And, if you used one of those extending arm desk lamps (desklamp: combining paper modeling and furniture. ) you could use your skycrane to land the rover.

Yogi

[airdave]

are you guys aware of the Morse Code Treads?
maybe you are and didn't care, but I thought I would mention it
for those who don't know...

None of the models shown here seem to have the correct tread pattern.
A unique feature of Curiosity is the inclusion of "J,P,L" in the tread pattern
rendered in Morse Code.

Those three rows of cutouts that appears at intervals around each tire
should be long and short cutouts representing Morse Code letter "J,P,L"

Tapemation built Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover wheels with tread pattern
which will leave an impression on the Martian surface spelling "JPL" in morse code (•--- •--• •-••)

[Retired_for_now]

Aaaaargh! Curse you venerable Dave for finding a distinctive nugget of serious geekery (us casual geeks would be satisfied with having a little picture of Marvin somewhere on the rover deck to surprise the camera operators ...).

Seriously, thanks. That's just the kind of nugget (Easter egg?) that should be included for an additional layer of meaning. I will assume it spells out JPL when moving forward. One more (I swear this is the last) thing to update before I post a revised 1:12 scale rover model.

Yogi

[airdave]

WOOHOO!
Curiosity moved!!!

thats right...News from the Red Planet today, Aug 22
... after 16 days on Mars, Curiosity has moved!

The Mars rover rolled 4.5 meters forward,
turned 120 degrees
and then backed up 2.5 meters.

There was a collective sigh of relief heard at Mission Control
and the whisper "phew...it works".

JPL staff say, by 2019, Curiosity should be out of the Garage.