This full-resolution self-portrait shows the deck of NASA's
Curiosity rover from the rover's Navigation camera. The back of
the rover can be seen at the top left of the image, and two of
the rover's right side wheels can be seen on the left. The
undulating rim of Gale Crater forms the lighter color strip in
the background. Bits of gravel, about 0.4 inches (1 centimeter)
in size, are visible on the deck of the rover. Photo Credit:
NASA/JPL-Caltech (Click image for full size.) Knowledge is all
around us at NASA. So why do we need a knowledge strategy? The
successful landing of the Curiosity rover represented a signal
triumph for NASA's Mars Exploration Program. The entry, descent,
and landing (EDL) challenge for this car-sized vehicle required
a different approach than had been used for previous Mars
missions. As ASK Magazine Managing Editor Don Cohen noted in
"The Sky Crane Solution" (Issue 47), the team drew on everything
from Apollo data to the expertise of a Sikorsky helicopter pilot
in order to design a sy