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enter image description here

I have been trying to figure out what this arrangement is for.

Could it be where the mast had its 'face' buried prior to deployment?

The various cups seem to fit exactly with lenses and positioning lugs on the masts face. If so the visible cutter must have severed a hold down cable.

Am I on the right track?

uhoh
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giles tester
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  • That looks like one of those pyrotechnic release mechanisms too (shown here from this answer) – uhoh Mar 01 '21 at 09:16
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    thanks for the title edit uhoh....after studying many pics of the mast face and that cup-like arrangement.it all fits together perfectly.....does anyone agree ? – giles tester Mar 01 '21 at 09:29
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    First thing that came to mind: Geee, those are going to fill with water if it rains. Next thing that came to mind: This is Nasa, they surely have that one figured out. :-) – Diego Sánchez Mar 01 '21 at 18:42

1 Answers1

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Lens covers and attachment/deployment infrastructure for the camera mast.

The mast hosts 2 round Navcams on the sides, two rectangular Mastcam-Z cameras, and one large Supercam with half-circle top "archway-like" border.

enter image description here

Compare: The image taken using the 3D model from NASA site, mirrored by me so that the correspondence is obvious.

enter image description here

During descent the mast was tucked in. It seems like one of the pyrotechnic cutters was used to ensure it would be released.

enter image description here

SF.
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  • Pyrotechnic cutters? Does that mean humans are already littering on another planet? – End Anti-Semitic Hate Mar 01 '21 at 17:13
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    @RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket And what do you think happened to the heatshield, the parachute and the skycrane? – SF. Mar 01 '21 at 17:45
  • Ya, I figured those were large enough that they will be easy pickins for Musk to grab when he's (hopefully) living up there. But with all this smaller trash, he's going to be a busy boy having to clean up all this mess. – End Anti-Semitic Hate Mar 01 '21 at 17:57
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    @RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket I mean, Alan Shepard's golf balls have been lying around on the moon for decades. Along with a bunch of other junk we left up there. So we have a long history of littering other celestial bodies... – Darrel Hoffman Mar 01 '21 at 18:05
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    @DarrelHoffman When I quickly read your comment, I missed the word golf. Quite a different meaning... and a good chuckle. – End Anti-Semitic Hate Mar 01 '21 at 18:06
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    Apollo left whole cars in ditches on the Moon and IIRC even dumped their poo. – Michael Mar 01 '21 at 18:24
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    @Michael And you haven't even mentioned the nuclear waste yet. – TooTea Mar 01 '21 at 20:32
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    Don't worry, @RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket, the Jawas will pick up all of the debris and sell it to moisture farmers. – DrSheldon Mar 01 '21 at 22:56
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    @RockPaperLz-MaskitorCasket The heatshield hits the surface at something not far from the speed of sound. The skycrane - AFAIK they don't try to land it gently, just fly it a good distance and altitude away and let it drop out of the sky. So I wouldn't count on them remaining single big chunks, with no debris strewn all around. – SF. Mar 02 '21 at 00:08
  • @SF I can't wait for a space agency to find something in a few years and think it's evidence of ET, only to realize it's a piece of litter dumped by Earthlings. – End Anti-Semitic Hate Mar 02 '21 at 03:23
  • On the subject of debris, there are amazing pics on the NASA site taken 16 years ago by Opportunity when the rover visited the impact site of its heat shield. – giles tester Mar 03 '21 at 02:00