The Mars Rover On-board Computer

Explore the intricate workings of the Mars Rover Curiosity's onboard computer in this 43-minute conference talk from the 35th Chaos Communication Congress (35C3). Delve into the sophisticated hardware and software that enable Curiosity to operate autonomously on Mars, performing tasks like landing, navigation, exploration, and even singing birthday songs to itself. Examine the history of the Mars Science Laboratory plans, the spacecraft's hardware architecture including processors, redundancy, and radiation shielding, and the software system that allows for over-the-air updates post-landing. Gain insights into fault-tolerance, long-term maintenance, and the ingenuity of JPL engineers while learning how principles from space technology can be applied to everyday computing challenges.

35C3 - The Mars Rover On-board Computer