NASA Will Crowdsource Its Photos of Mars

tedlistens writes "NASA is asking the public to suggest subjects for the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE, its super powerful camera currently orbiting Mars. Since it arrived there in 2006, the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has seen more success than that lost lander, recording nearly 13,000 observations of Martian terrain, with each image covering dozens of square miles and revealing details as small as a desk. By letting the public in on the Martian photo shoot, scientists aren't just getting more people excited about space exploration. They're hoping that crowdsourcing imaging targets will increase the camera's already bountiful science return. Despite the thousands of pictures already taken, less than 1 percent of the Martian surface has been imaged."

First Priority

[VoiceInTheDesert]

Find Dr Manhattan and that cool floating ice scupture thing of his.

Umm...

[verbalcontract]

...NASA has heard of 4chan, right? I don't want to see thousands of "crowdsourced" pictures of the robot's crotch.

Re:Umm...

[VoiceInTheDesert]

They apparently hadn't heard of Stephen Colbert when they wanted to name the recent ISS module.

Wait....

[Anonymous Coward]

They've found desks on Mars?!

My vote would be

[MyBrotherSteve]

If they've imaged 1% of the surface of Mars, then my vote for new pictures would be (drum roll..................!) the OTHER 99% Thank you - no applause, please.

Re:Second Priority

[Third Position]

Since they are now claiming its possible to notice things as small as a Desk

Good. That might go a long way in explaining where my supervisor has been hiding for the last month.

Re:Why the Phoenix Negativity?

[Chris Burke]

That's all true but I can't act surprised when they name their lander the Phoenix and some people are disappointed when it looks like it isn't going to rise from the dead. :)