So, You Want to Talk Accuracy, Huh?

Feb. 18, 2013

I heard the story of a pretty remarkable accomplishment during a keynote speech at the ARC World Industry Forum last week by Doug McCuistion, who retired in 2012 as director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA. That's the program that included the Mars Space Lab Mission that successfully landed Curiosity on the planet.

I heard the story of a pretty remarkable accomplishment during a keynote speech at the ARC World Industry Forum last week by Doug McCuistion, who retired in 2012 as director of the Mars Exploration Program at NASA. That's the program that included the Mars Space Lab Mission that successfully landed Curiosity on the planet.

The conclusion of what was the first guided descent of a lander, which entered Martian atmosphere at about 13,000 mph, after a 170 million mile journey, was accuracy of the highest order...The ‘landing ellipse’ the team charted on the planet surface, which marked out the sort of manageable margin of error for the landing target, was 12 miles by 4 miles. Compare that with the best they could do in 2004, which was a roughly 93 mile by 12 mile ellipse for the Spirit and Opportunity landers in 2004.

“By the way, we actually landed 250 meters away from where we thought we were going to land,” McCuistion noted. Are you kidding me???

Hey, before you go, stop by the home page of controldesign.com for the latest goings on.

Joe Feeley is editor in chief for Control Design and Industrial Networking. Email him at [email protected] or check out his Google+ profile.

Sponsored Recommendations

2025 State of Technology Report: HMIs, IPCs and Enclosures

Industrial manufacturing equipment often relies on human-machine interfaces, industrial PCs and enclosures to ensure system reliability and optimal performance. These components...

Custom Encoder Created for Large Rotational Applications

Large rotational applications like MRI machines, excavators, mobile equipment, forklifts and stagecraft require precise motion feedback for optimal performance, safety and efficiency...

See How One Company Customized Motion Feedback for Material Handling Applications

Encoders can be used in material handling on sorters, conveyors, in automated storage retrieval systems, on mobile equipment, automated mobile robots and more. See how one company...

Absolute vs Incremental Encoders: Which One Does Your System Need?

The right encoder makes all the difference. Incremental encoders are perfect for tracking speed and direction in dynamic motion. Absolute encoders? They remember exact positioning...