New Mars rover landing tonight
The Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity will be landing on Mars tonight at 1:30am. Mission status at the link below.
http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/msl/status.html
Definitely not OT since Michigan is very well represented at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and working MSL.
Also, the Sample Analysis Module on MSL carries electronics built by UofM.
http://www.sprl.umich.edu/projects/SAM/index.php
MSL is about twice as long (about 9 feet) and four times as heavy as NASA’s previous Mars Exploration rovers. It will carry equipment to gather samples of rocks and soil, crush them, and then distribute them to onboard test chambers inside MSL’s analytical instruments. One of the most critical of these instruments, the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite (SAM), carries electronics designed and built by the space Physics Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan.
Space bitches, space.
I got ya covered.
Ah, thanks. I appreciate this even more given that it looks like your avatar just said it.
August 5th, 2012 at 11:50 PM ^
Awesome to the MAX.
Must get That Guy's points up to 1980.
August 5th, 2012 at 10:06 PM ^
I know the title is talking about how long it takes to land once it hits the atmosphere but I chuckled when I saw a video titled "Seven Minutes of Terror" that is 5 minutes long...
August 5th, 2012 at 10:15 PM ^
Interestingly they released a video about the last landing called "Six Minutes of Terror". Still pretty cool, but I think they recycled some of those graphics.
Of the two Mars Exploration Rovers landed in 2003, Spirit ran for over 6 years, Opportunity is still working.
You're saying the O/U is 7.5 years.
given that NASA is aiming for 2 years of ground operations.
Damn I wish we'd launch a manned mission to Mars. I was nine years old when we landed on the moon and I can still remember vividly my late Mother waking me up to see it. I know from a purely scientific standpoint unmanned missions are considered vastly superior and certainly more cost effective but I can think of precious few accomplishments by mankind that would rival setting foot on another planet.
August 5th, 2012 at 10:08 PM ^
As much as I hate the thing, NASA MSFC is currently building the SLS, which is basically a vamped-up Saturn V that's supposed to put dudes on Mars. Launch date later this decade from first estimates.
There are many, many more effective and efficient ways to pursue manned missions to Mars, but for some reason Congress has direct control not only over the mission objectives of NASA, but also over how they accomplish them. As if any of them know anything about the subject. I hope this doesn't get too close to politics.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has already stated his desire to retire on Mars, so there are several forces pushing towards this goal.
August 5th, 2012 at 11:53 PM ^
it funds companies in my district."
We have the same exact problem with the defense budget. The military tells Congress what they need, and then Congress tells the military what is best for them. What's best always aligns closely with the peanut butter being spread in many key congressional districts.
Dangerously close to the no politics third rail I know, but it has been this way forever, regardless of who controls the House or the Senate. So I guess that makes it apolitical in a way.
August 5th, 2012 at 10:33 PM ^
August 5th, 2012 at 10:04 PM ^
August 5th, 2012 at 10:09 PM ^
August 5th, 2012 at 10:15 PM ^
August 6th, 2012 at 11:05 AM ^
It was all fun and games until my dad lit our neighbor's field on fire.
August 5th, 2012 at 10:17 PM ^
There's a pretty cool simulator you can follow in real time or use in preview mode to get a visual, albeit a bit cartoonish, on the mission.
http://eyes.nasa.gov/launch2.html?document=$SERVERURL/content/documents/msl/edl.xml
August 5th, 2012 at 10:41 PM ^
August 5th, 2012 at 10:41 PM ^
Now what?
August 5th, 2012 at 11:18 PM ^
Curiosity's landing, now with 100% more Captain James Tiberius Kirk:
August 5th, 2012 at 11:54 PM ^
"Captain Kirk"/Shatner pulls it off with that narrative style of his to enhance the description of how the landing sequence will proceed. I have to admit, I got chills about the time he was describing how the cords would be cut and Curiosity would softly land as its landing propulsion system rockets off a safe distance. Thanks for finding and posting that video!
August 6th, 2012 at 12:15 AM ^
August 6th, 2012 at 12:21 AM ^
August 6th, 2012 at 12:46 AM ^
August 6th, 2012 at 12:30 AM ^
They were saying that if the rover landed on a slope it could over shoot signals to the satellite.. Do they really having nothing to counter that?
August 6th, 2012 at 12:19 AM ^
So cool NASA. Stick the landing like Olympic champions. See ya on Mars.
August 6th, 2012 at 12:52 AM ^
If anyone has an Xbox 360 and wants to watch, you can for free with Xbox Live, it's on the home page. This is so cool.
August 6th, 2012 at 12:58 AM ^
Come on Curiosity, you got this...
August 6th, 2012 at 12:59 AM ^
Hey, I'm eating peanuts, too! I had no idea they were lucky.
Now I understand why NASA didn't give me any feedback on my resume, damn peanut allergy.
Commence nerd orgy.
That was epic.
Mars, bitches.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
This trumps beach volleyball.
I have no shame in admitting that the landing made me tear up.