Posted Mon May 3, 2010 at 10:30 AM PDT by Mike Attebery
Now that's one 3-D IMAX movie I wouldn't want to miss.
The next Mars rover, Curiosity, will be launching in 2011 with a 3-D camera on board, in partial thanks to James Cameron. The plan from the beginning was to include a 3-D camera on the trip, but budget cuts forced the team to rethink the camera.
It's not cheap creating a camera that's capable of surviving space travel, let alone the atmosphere of Mars. When it comes to 3-D cameras, which are already a good chunk of change more than standard cameras, things get even more expensive.
Hearing of the decision to ditch the 3-D camera, James Cameron gave NASA administrator Charles Bolden a call. Cameron was able to convince Bolden that it was essential to take a 3-D camera on board, not for the science, but for inspiring the public.
After all, it's been a while since there's been anything in space exploration that people could really rally behind. Exploring the actual Martian landscape in 3D at an IMAX theater may be just enough to get the public back behind NASA.
Source: CBS News
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