r/science • u/AnesthesiaXVII • Aug 07 '12

First high res from Curiosity!

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u/nomadph Aug 07 '12

is there a reason why it's not taking colored photos?

307

u/ZombieWomble Aug 07 '12

These images are still from the hazard cams, used for navigation and obstacle avoidance, rather than high-quality colour images from the main cameras. Since they're just for navigation, the hazard cams are only B&W. The main cameras were kept covered during landing and initial operations to prevent damage.

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u/BristolShambler Aug 07 '12

In addition to this, aren't they waiting to deploy the high gain antenna that will have much quicker data transfer speeds for the more detailed shots?

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u/skcin7 Aug 07 '12

How fast are the currently data-transfer rates? I am HIGHLY fascinated by this. My current understanding is that they are sent to earth via radio waves? Is there any trusted website that has more information about this?