Mars Helicopter Does CHOP! CHOP! CHOP!

[PoliTalker]

Hello Althea,

There was once a time when the middle class could earn a good wage, support a family, and pay their taxes. The wealthy paid their fair share of taxes, and there was money for scientific experiment. I just question the combination of lower revenue and increased spending on this program? The nation is crumbling around us. It could certainly be argued that many of our advancements in society have come from the space program.

I think we forgot about the basics, though.

Selfish Republicans refuse to balance the budget. They always want to cut taxes, and they claim it will pay for itself, but it never does. Trump ran the debt sky high, and he left us in a perpetual negative unbalanced budget situation. If we want to get control of the federal budget, and we should, taxes will have to be raised on the rich.

 

[Yakuda]

When we see what incredible things that we can do,
that makes not being able to do things that should be much easier to do
all the more frustrating.

Like people with penises are male and those with vaginas are female? Like that?

 

[AProudLefty]

Like people with penises are male and those with vaginas are female? Like that?

 

[Yakuda]

Hello Althea,



Selfish Republicans refuse to balance the budget. They always want to cut taxes, and they claim it will pay for itself, but it never does. Trump ran the debt sky high, and he left us in a perpetual negative unbalanced budget situation. If we want to get control of the federal budget, and we should, taxes will have to be raised on the rich.

You realize dont you that there aren't enough "rich" people to tax even at 200% to balance the budget? You people just recycle the same old talking points dont you?

 

[Dutch Uncle]

I hope it will fly tomorrow.

Me too. First Flight on Mars!

 

[Althea]

Hello Althea,



Selfish Republicans refuse to balance the budget. They always want to cut taxes, and they claim it will pay for itself, but it never does. Trump ran the debt sky high, and he left us in a perpetual negative unbalanced budget situation. If we want to get control of the federal budget, and we should, taxes will have to be raised on the rich.

Agree. They've had a 5 year tax holiday, and have made billions while half of the nation starves due to Covid issues.

A large number of CEOs claimed that a corporate tax hike would make it hard for them to compete on the world stage, make it harder to hire workers, and make it harder to expand their businesses via capital projects.


What bullshit. Taxes are paid on profits after you pay employees, CEOs, and make expenditures for expansion of the business. They wouldn't pay any more in taxes if they gave raises, and did their expansion.

They didn't use the tax giveaway to hike salaries, or create jobs. They promised Congress that they wouldn't do either when they testified before the tax giveaway was passed. The tax giveaway passed anyway.

 

[PoliTalker]

Hello Althea,

Agree. They've had a 5 year tax holiday, and have made billions while half of the nation starves due to Covid issues.

A large number of CEOs claimed that a corporate tax hike would make it hard for them to compete on the world stage, make it harder to hire workers, and make it harder to expand their businesses via capital projects.


What bullshit. Taxes are paid on profits after you pay employees, CEOs, and make expenditures for expansion of the business. They wouldn't pay any more in taxes if they gave raises, and did their expansion.

They didn't use the tax giveaway to hike salaries, or create jobs. They promised Congress that they wouldn't do either when they testified before the tax giveaway was passed. The tax giveaway passed anyway.

It was no secret what they did with the tax cut windfall. Stock buy-backs!

Job creators, schmob creators.

Buncha selfish crooks!

 

[Althea]

Hello Althea,



It was no secret what they did with the tax cut windfall. Stock buy-backs!

Job creators, schmob creators.

Buncha selfish crooks!

Can't blame them for accepting a tax giveaway. It's not like they promised Congress that they would give pay raises and hire workers. Quite the contrary.

 

[evince]

When we see what incredible things that we can do,
that makes not being able to do things that should be much easier to do
all the more frustrating.

See what we can do when we go by merit


Lots of people of color were involved


It’s the epitome of stupid to waste talent and Brains due to skin color

 

[PoliTalker]

You have to get the software right if you want a soft landing...

Ingenuity helicopter's Mars flight delayed again while NASA updates software

"We'll still have to wait a bit longer to see a helicopter flying around on Mars. NASA has again postponed the Ingenuity Mars helicopter's first experimental flight, which was originally set for Sunday, April 11.

The flight initially got pushed back to no earlier than April 14 due to a safety alert during a high-speed spin test of Ingenuity's rotors on Friday, two days before the scheduled inaugural voyage. Ingenuity's flight control software will get a minor modification and reinstallation, NASA said in a statement Monday, and the agency will set a flight date next week. "

 

[PoliTalker]

I would be in favor of barely lifting off and then immediately dropping right back down, initially.

Analyze, make sure all went as hoped.

Then for the second attempt, go slightly higher and right back down.

Followed by another analysis.

Only then go for more extended flight.

Three times is a charm.

 

[AProudLefty]

I guess Perseverance rover got so bored waiting for the message it just started snapping pictures around.

Ever seen the movie Rain Man? Yeah he kept snapping pictures everywhere.

 

[AProudLefty]

It's getting ready!

 

[AProudLefty]

It's getting ready!

This one keep making me think of a dragonfly.

Here's a brief animation of the helicopter deployment.

 

[Damocles]

I'd love to see the code for the controlling AI. There is no way you could "remote control" it from this far away, 20 minute or more delay would crash that thing.

 

[AProudLefty]

I'd love to see the code for the controlling AI. There is no way you could "remote control" it from this far away, 20 minute or more delay would crash that thing.

I'd love to see the source code myself. Isn't the code open to the public or shouldn't it be? NASA is paid by us taxpayers.

 

[Damocles]

I'd love to see the source code myself. Isn't the code open to the public or shouldn't it be? NASA is paid by us taxpayers.

So it the US Navy and I guarantee the code we use for controlling missiles is not available to the public therefore...

 

[AProudLefty]

So it the US Navy and I guarantee the code we use for controlling missiles is not available to the public therefore...

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/code-a-mars-helicopter-video-game/

As to the missiles, that is understandable since it's a matter of national security.

 

[Damocles]

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/code-a-mars-helicopter-video-game/

As to the missiles, that is understandable since it's a matter of national security.

My guess is such artificial intel would also be a matter of national security. There would be much overlap.

 

[AProudLefty]

My guess is such artificial intel would also be a matter of national security. There would be much overlap.

Yeah that is understandable.

There's plenty of source codes for AI on NASA's site: https://code.nasa.gov/

And naturally there's plenty of source codes for drones flying on their own available on the Internet.