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Amazing, isn't it? NASA's Opportunity rover, which has been slowly
travelling across the surface of Mars to return to us so many wonderful
pictures, has itself been imaged from space. It's image was taken by
the orbiting Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter from an altitude of 297
kilometres. The picture's resolution is so good that the rover's
tracks can be seen, as well as its shadow across the ground.
Individual boulders, of 2 metres length, are resolved from a height of
300 kilometres!
Well, we all know how amazing imaging technology has become these days,
and we hear about satellites orbiting Earth being able to take the most
incredibly detailed images from space. Google Earth must be child's
play compared to the advanced Department of Defence instrumentation in
space.
This is all very well, until we come to talk about the surface of the
Moon. Because, at that point, we are told that there is no possibility
of the Apollo lunar lander modules left on the Moon's surface being
imaged using today's technology. We are told that the 1999 Clementine
DoD lunar satellite was incapable of imaging the equipment left by NASA
astronauts. That the Hubble Space Telescope is similarly unable to
pick out these landers.
Hmmm. And all the moon pictures were 'lost' when they
were sent to be digitized.
Anybody smell a great big government rat?
John
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