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A “brain transplant” is what NASA is calling the multi-step software update that is taking place from August 10-13. Apparently, the Mars rover was and is going to have its software upgraded as needed. This ability to upgrade the software gives NASA a way to tune Curiosity’s software to the task at hand.
According to NASA during its first weekend on Mars the rover will be recovering from its own form of jet lag by having the software upgrade that should improve its driving and use of its robotic arm. Since the update will need to occur on both of Curiosity’s redundant internal computers, the upgrade will occur in a series of steps over the four days.
"We designed the mission from the start to be able to upgrade the software as needed for different phases of the mission," said Ben Cichy of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., chief software engineer for the Mars Science Laboratory mission. "The flight software version Curiosity currently is using was really focused on landing the vehicle. It includes many capabilities we just don’t need any more. It gives us basic capabilities for operating the rover on the surface, but we have planned all along to switch over after landing to a version of flight software that is really optimized for surface operations."
One of the main upgrades will be to its ability to “see” obstacles and choose a safe path around them. This will give the rover more autonomy.
While the rover is getting its current upgrade, scientists back on earth will continue to pour over the first photos from the rover to decide what parts of the Gale Crater to explore. Of course the first few weeks scientists will be testing out the various equipment on the rover to make sure that it is working properly. If not that could lead to more software changes.
Curiosity contains its own internal laboratory. The robotic arm is equipped with a drill and a scoop for taking samples of soil and rocks. The samples can then be separated into smaller samples for analysis on its different “analytical laboratory instruments”.
There is evidence that Mars was once a wet planet. According to Gizmag one of Curiosity’s primary goals is to search for any evidence of life that might once have existed on Mars.
Who knows, if this Mars rover longer than its original mission, as many of NASA’s projects have, then “brain transplants” could be occurring for quite some time to come.
Photo: Curiosity’s Self-Portrait, is courtesy of NASA.
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