Curiosity landing video assembled from high-res images (video)
A new video has been compiled by Spaceflight101.com showing Curiosity's final minutes of terror in glorious HD (though a dearth of frames and lack of stabilization make it a bit herky-jerky). It's an assembly of all the high-res photos taken by the buggy on the way down to its now familiar perch, rolling at the not-exactly-HFR speed of 4 fps, but still trumping a previous low-res thumbnail version. It gives a much clearer, rover's-eye-view of the journey, starting with the heat shield ejection and finishing with the dusty, butterfly-like touchdown. Check it out below the break to see the precarious descent -- and don't forget your Dramamine.
Update: An enterprising (and patient) individual, Dominic Muller, spent four straight days creating a frame interpolated version of the video, giving the choppy footage a beautiful, smooth new look. Check out his version below the original after the break -- blow it up to full screen HD, crank the sound and enjoy.
