NASA has managed to the Curiosity rover currently on Mars drives of improved software. This allows the trolley with his camera for the chemical analysis of materials to focus better.
NASA confirmed the successful software update on its website. Curiosity has a small device, the so-called ChemCam, on board which the chemical composition of materials can be analysed. It works with a laser that is focused should be on the to analyze the material. According to NASA, the software automatically ‘focus’ is not quite right, so decided is new software to.
Through what an ” over-the-space-update can be called the software of Curiosity refreshed. That operation proved a success: the ChemCam can now determine the best focus distance select, and on the basis thereof, generating data for chemical analysis. Also the photos Curiosity takes its according to NASA, with the new software improved. Do that Curiosity by first a number of focusafstanden to take and person to select the best focus results.
This might be a little cumbersome work-around is needed because the original autofocus method of the Mars rover no longer works. Initially, it was to do this, a special laser is present and the distance to the object is able to measure, but this ‘rangefinder’ is broken. NASA had to think of something else.
Curiosity is doing research on the martian surface to find traces of life. At the end of last year, there were building blocks found which indicate that in the past, possible life-forms have been used, although there is still no concrete evidence.
